According to the recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, the Indian passport climbed 10 spots to the 75th position. While Singapore retained the top spot this year as well, Japan was second, followed by South Korea.
In 2025, India ranked 85th in the Henley Index, marking a significant 10-place climb. (Representative picture)In the new list, India’s visa-free score is 56, meaning Indians can now travel to 56 countries without a visa.
The Henley Passport Index ranks the number of passports in the world by the number of destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa. Its ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association. A lower rank on the index indicates greater access to countries without a visa.
While Singapore holds the top spot with visa-free access to 192 countries, Japan and South Korea come second with access to 187 and 186 countries respectively. Last on the index is Afghanistan with a visa-free score of 24.
In 2025, India ranked 85th in the Henley Index, marking a significant 10-place climb. It was ranked 80th in 2024 and 84th in 2023. India’s rank was lowest in 2021 at 90th rank
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Countries where Indians can visit without visaHere is a list of 56 countries where Indians do not require a pre-arrival visa to enter:
AngolaBarbadosBhutanBritish Virgin IslandsBurundiCambodiaCape Verde IslandsComoros IslandsCook IslandsDjiboutiDominicaEthiopiaFijiGrenadaGuinea-BissauHaitiIndonesiajamaicaJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiLaosMacao (SAR China)MadagascarMalaysiaMaldivesMarshall IslandsMauritiusMicronesiaMongoliaMontserratMozambiqueMyanmarNepalnewPalau IslandsPhilippinesQatarRwandaSamoaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSri LankaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesTanzaniaThailandGambiaTimor-LesteTrinidad and TobagoTuvaluVanuatuZimbabweAlso read: Punjab: 2008 Moga passport scam: Bathinda court acquits 17 travel agents Hindustan Times
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The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports based on their level of access to 227 global destinations. For each destination, a passport receives a score of 1 if its holder can enter without a visa, obtain a visa on arrival (VOA), obtain a visitor’s permit or secure an electronic travel authorization (ETA) upon entry.
If travelers have to apply for a visa in advance, the passport gets a score of 0. This score also applies if government approval is required before obtaining a visa on arrival.
