Indian passports have climbed five spots in global mobility rankings for 2026, granting visa-free, visa-on-arrival, or eTA access to 55 destinations. The Henley Passport Index placed India at the 80th position, sharing this rank with Algeria and Niger. Singapore leads the list with visa-free access to 192 countries, while Japan and South Korea closely follow with 188 and 186 destinations, respectively.
Indian travelers benefit from visa-free access to parts of Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and island nations. However, they still require advance visas for most of Europe, the UK, the US, Canada, and significant parts of East Asia. European passports dominate the top 10 positions, each offering access to over 180 countries. Afghanistan holds the weakest passport with access to only 24 destinations.
The United States has re-entered the top 10 in the index after a brief decline in recent years, despite both the US and UK experiencing significant year-on-year losses in visa-free access. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman at Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index, noted that global mobility has expanded over the past two decades, but the benefits have not been evenly distributed. Passport privilege now significantly influences opportunities, security, and economic participation.
Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland hold the third spot on the index with access to 186 destinations, while an unprecedented group of ten European countries shares the fourth position. The UAE has emerged as the top performer on the Henley Passport Index in the last 20 years, gaining 149 visa-free destinations since 2006. It now ranks fifth with visa-free access to 184 destinations, attributed to sustained diplomatic engagement and visa liberalization. China stands at the 59th position with visa-free access to 81 destinations.
