India rises to 80th in 2026 Henley Passport Index: What it means for travellers

For Indian passport holders planning international travel in 2026, the latest Henley Passport Index offers a clear snapshot of how much mobility the passport currently provides, and where its limitations remain. In the 2026 rankings, India is placed 80th globally, with visa-free, visa-on-arrival or electronic travel authorisation access to 55 destinations. India shares this rank with Algeria and Niger, keeping it firmly in the lower half of the global mobility table. The encouraging development is that India has climbed five places from last year, when it was ranked 85th.

How the Henley Passport Index Works

The Henley Passport Index evaluates the strength of 199 passports across 227 global destinations. A passport earns a score for each destination where no prior visa is required, or where entry is permitted through visa on arrival or similar travel authorisation.

The Global Mobility Divide

The 2026 rankings once again highlight the deep imbalance in global travel freedom. Singapore continues to top the index, offering its citizens access to 192 destinations without a prior visa. Japan and South Korea follow closely with access to 188 destinations, while European countries dominate much of the top 10, each providing entry to over 180 destinations.

At the opposite end, Afghanistan remains the weakest passport worldwide, with access to just 24 destinations. With the global average now exceeding 100 destinations, the gap between highly mobile nations and countries like India remains stark.

Shifts Among Top Passports

Japan and South Korea jointly hold second place in 2026, followed by Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Europe continues to dominate the upper ranks, though countries such as the UAE, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Malaysia remain notable exceptions.

The United States has returned to the top 10 after briefly slipping out, but this masks a longer-term decline for both the US and the UK. Once joint leaders of the index in 2014, both countries recorded their sharpest year-on-year losses recently, signalling broader changes in diplomatic influence and global power dynamics.