Indian passport slips to 78th in Henley Index; citizens can still travel unrestricted to 56 countries

India's Passport has slipped to 78th position in Henley's Passport Index, but still holders can travel to 56 countries visa-free, visa-on-arrival and electronic travel authorisation routes. This is a three-position dip for the Indian passport from the 75th position in February 2026. The Indian passport reached its peak of 71st in 2006. In the latest ranking, India shares the 75th position with Burkina Faso, Cuba and Senegal. The Henly's Passport Index is based on International Air Transport Association data, which evaluates 199 countries across 277 destinations worldwide. The index is relative, and experts suggest that the declining strength of the Indian passport is related to the West Asian and Transatlantic crisis.

Where can Indian travellers go?

Indian citizens can access 56 countries visa-free, visa-on-arrival and electronic travel authorisation arrangements. Visa-free countries allow entry without a prior visa, subject to immigration checks on arrival. Currently, Indian passport holders can visit 30 countries without a prior visa. These are Angola, Barbados, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Macao (SAR China), Malaysia, Mauritius, Micronesia, Montserrat, Nepal, Niue, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Thailand, The Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu. Indians can acquire a visa on arrival in 23 countries, namely Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Jordan, Laos, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Palau Islands, Qatar, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, and Zimbabwe. ETA is a pre-travel online approval that must be acquired before departure, but doesn't require a visa stamp. Indians can get a visa on arrival in Kenya, Seychelles, St. Kitts and Nevis.

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What is the top global passport ranking?

Singapore currently holds the top position with visa-free access to 192 destinations, followed by the UAE, South Korea and Japan. European nations dominate the following in the top 10 rankings, followed by Sweden at third, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland at fourth and Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia at fifth. Both the United States and the United Kingdom recorded some of the steepest annual declines in mobility, as per Henley's Passport Index. The United Kingdom is in eighth place and lost visa-free access to eight countries, and the United States is in 10th and lost visa-free access to seven destinations.