India’s passport ranking has seen a lot of ups and downs over the years. It peaked at 71st in 2006, reflecting a period of relative global mobility for Indian citizens. However, it experienced a notable slump 15 years later in 2021, dropping to the 90th position
GUWAHATI: India’s passport ranking has slipped five positions to 85th on the Henley Passport Index 2025, granting its citizens visa-free access to 57 countries. This marks a decline from 2024, when Indian passport holders could travel to 62 destinations without a visa.
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The rankings, released by global citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners on January 8, evaluate the strength of passports based on visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to destinations.
Incidentally, India’s passport ranking has seen a lot of ups and downs over the years. It peaked at 71st in 2006, reflecting a period of relative global mobility for Indian citizens. However, it experienced a notable slump 15 years later in 2021, dropping to the 90th position due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. After rebounding to 80th in 2024, this year’s fall to 85th highlights continuing challenges for Indian travellers.
The first rank is held by Singapore, offering visa-free access to 195 destinations, and is followed by Japan, with visa-free access to 193. Seven countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and South Korea, share the third spot, providing visa-free access to 192 destinations.
The weakest passport remains that of Afghanistan, ranked 106th. Afghan citizens can only visit 26 countries without a visa, making it the least powerful passport globally.
