India’s passport ranking dropped to 81 in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, highlighting the country’s fluctuating global travel access over the past two decades.
Indian passport holders can now travel to 55 destinations without needing a visa in advance. These countries offer visa-free entry, visa-on-arrival, Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), or visitor permits. Most of these 55 destinations are located across Asia, Africa and islands. Travellers still require advance visas for major destinations such as the United States, the United Kingdom and most European countries.
The ranking of India dropped from 56 earlier this year after Cape Verde removed visa-on-arrival access for Indian citizens. In 2006, India ranked 71 globally, according to Henley Passport Index. In the previous years, its ranking declined to 82 by 2012. It slightly recovered to 74 in 2013. However, it later experienced another major setback, falling to 88 in 2015 and reaching its lowest-ever position of 90 in 2021.
Since then, India has shown mixed progress, as it dropped again to 85 in 2025, and recovered slightly to 81 in 2026.
Moreover, the 20th anniversary edition of the Henley Passport Index also highlights how global mobility has expanded over time. The gap between the world’s strongest and weakest passports has widened from 118 destinations in 2006 to a record 170 destinations.
Singapore currently holds the world’s most powerful passport. It offers simplified access to 192 destinations. Additionally, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates follow closely with access to 188 destinations each.
Moreover, the United States once ranked among the strongest passports in 2006 alongside Denmark and Finland, but dropped to 10th place despite increasing its travel access from 130 to 180 destinations. The United Kingdom has fallen from third to sixth place, while Canada now ranks seventh.
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