Henley Passport Index: India rises to 75th, loses one visa-free destination

India recorded the 75th most powerful passport in the world’s most powerful passport list, enabling visa-free travel access to 56 countries, revealed a latest report on Global Passports Index by Henley and Partners. Indian passport made an upward momentum of 10 rank in comparison to 2025’s position at 85. Despite the growth, India will see a reduction of one country in visa-free travel this year.

Significantly, India’s rank is shared by four countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Madagascar, and Mauritania.

A passport index reflects a country’s strength in foreign policy, as well as its order in global politics. Since the Henley Passport Index began, around mid-2000s, Singapore, Japan, Germany, and Western-European countries, including France, Italy, and Spain, have dominated the rankings.

In an interesting shift, countries such as U.S. and U.K. are no longer top contenders in Henley Passport Index, leaving space to Western-European countries and Nordic countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Netherlands to join the elite club.

Last year, India’s rank stood at 85, facilitating visa-free travel to 57 countries.

What is Henley Passport Index?

The Henley Passport Index, prepared by Henley and Partners, ranks 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, sharing a comprehensible outlook to users about how many countries they can travel without securing a passport. The ranking is finalised based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Number of visa-free countries in Indian Passport

According to Henley Passport Index, an Indian citizen could travel to 56 countries without securing a passport. While, the same will require a visa to travel 170 destinations.

Also Read | Passport power: India’s ranking in the Henley passport Index

Here are the number of countries an Indian could visit without visa:

1. Barbados
2. Bhutan
3. British Virgin Islands
4. Burundi
5. Cambodia
6. Cape Verde Islands
7. Comoro Islands
8. Cook Islands
9. Djibouti
10. Dominica
11. Ethiopia
12. Fiji
13. Grenada
14. Guinea-Bissau
15. Haiti
16. Indonesia
17. Jamaica
18. Jordan
19. Kazakhstan
20. Kenya
21. Kiribati
22. Laos
23. Macao (SAR China)
24. Madagascar
25. Malawi
26. Malaysia
27. Maldives
28. Marshall Islands
29. Mauritius
30. Micronesia
31. Mongolia
32. Mozambique
33. Myanmar
34. Nepal
35. Niue
36. Palau Islands
37. Philippines
38. Rwanda
39. Samoa
40. Senegal
41. Seychelles
42. Sierra Leone
43. Sri Lanka
44. St. Kitts and Nevis
45. St. Lucia
46. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
47. Tanzania
48. Thailand
49. The Gambia
50. Timor-Leste
51. Trinidad and Tobago
52. Tuvalu
53. Vanuatu
54. Zimbabwe
55. Montserrat
56. Malaysia

India v/s Neighbours: Who leads in Southasia?

Among India’s neighbours, Maldives fared the best at 49th rank, gaining the privilege of visa-free travel access to over 93 destinations. This spot was closely followed by China, securing 56th rank in the global index, facilitating visa-free travel access to 82 countries.

Moving forward, Bhutan secured 83rd rank, gaining visa-free access to 48 countries. This is closely followed by Myanmar, which secured 88th rank, ensuring visa-free travel access to 43 destinations. Additionally, Srilanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, stood at 91st, 93rd, and 95th rank, respectively. The three countries had visa-free travel access to 39, 37, and 35 countries, respectively.

The worst-performers were Pakistan and Afghanistan, which stood at 97th and 101st rank, enabling visa-free access to 32 and 24 countries respectively.

Also Read | Rich Indians seek the safety of foreign shores

World’s most powerful passport?

Singapore consolidated its position as world’s strongest passport with visa-free access to 192 countries. This was closely followed by Japan and South Korea at second spot, enabling visa-free access to 187 countries. They were followed by Sweden and United Arab Emirates at third spot, allowing visa-free access to 186 countries.

For February 2026 ranking, United States grabbed the tenth spot, allowing visa-free access to 179 countries. While developed economies such as United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, secured 7th, 4th, and 8th position, respectively. Significantly, these countries secured a visa-free access to 182, 185, and 181 countries, respectively.

Published – February 14, 2026 12:07 pm IST