India Drops Five Spots in Global Passport Index as Top Country Holds Its Lead

India Drops Five Spots in Global Passport Index as Top Country Holds Its Lead

India has fallen to the 85th rank in the 2025 Henley Passport Index, offering visa-free access to 57 countries. Last year, India’s passport was ranked 80th on the list with visa-free travel to 62 destinations.

Singapore continues to be the most powerful passport with visa-free access to 193 countries. South Korea is second on the list this year with 190 countries and Japan is third, allowing travel to 189 countries.

Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland share the fourth rank with visa-free access to 188 countries while Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland and the Netherlands share the fifth rank, allowing travel without a visa to 187 countries.

Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and Sweden are at the sixth place with visa-free access to 186 countries. Australia, Czechia, Malta and Poland share the seventh rank with visa-free access to 185 countries.

The eighth rank is shared by Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom with visa-free access to 184 countries. Canada is at ninth rank with visa-free access to 183 countries.

Latvia and Liechtenstein make up the top 10 with visa-free access to 182 countries.

The United States sits at the 12th spot along with Malaysia with visa-free access to 180 countries.

This is the first time the US has fallen out of the top 10 on the index.

Last year, the top spot was shared by France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Singapore with 194 visa-free destinations while the US was at seventh spot with visa-free access to 188 countries.

In the 2025 list, India shares the 85th rank with Mauritania. Angola, Barbados, Bhutan, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Burundi, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand are some of the countries that do not require a visa for Indian passport holders.

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In India’s neighbourhood, Pakistan stands at 103rd rank with visa-free access to 31 countries, Bangladesh at 100 with 38 visa-free destinations, Nepal at 101st with access to 36 nations and Bhutan at 92nd with visa-free access to 50 countries. Sri Lanka is at 98th rank, allowing travel to 41 visa-free destinations for its citizens.

Afghanistan is the world’s weakest passport with visa-free access to only 24 countries followed by Syria and Iraq with 26 and 29 visa-free destinations.

The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of nations according to mobility freedom allowed by their ordinary passports for their citizens.

It was launched in 2005 as Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index and then updated to Henley Passport Index in January 2018. PTI

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