The Henley Passport Index 2025 has revealed a significant drop in India’s rankings, dropping five places from 80th to 85th on the list of the world’s most powerful passports. This ranking is based on the number of destinations that are visa-free, using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
As per the latest status, Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to 57 destinations, sharing the 85th position with Equatorial Guinea and Niger. Singapore, on the other hand, has retained its top position, with passport holders enjoying visa-free access to as many as 195 destinations worldwide.
- Singapore (195 destinations)
- Japan (193)
- France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, South Korea (192)
- Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway (191)
- Belgium, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom (190)
- Greece, Australia (189)
- Canada, Poland, Malta (188)
- Hungary, Czech Republic (187)
- Estonia, United States (186)
- Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates (185)
The top 10 list is dominated by European countries, with Japan, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain all securing a spot. The UAE has made significant progress, moving up 32 places to secure 10th place, with visa-free access to 185 destinations worldwide.
In a surprising turn of events, the US has fallen seven places from second to ninth, with experts attributing the decline to the country’s increasingly inward-looking and isolationist political trends. Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that “American political trends had become remarkably inward-looking and isolationist… voters during the 2024 presidential campaign were fed a narrative that America can (and should) go it alone ) to stand .”
At the other end of the spectrum, countries such as Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan continue to face significant travel restrictions, with limited visa-free access to destinations around the world. Afghanistan in particular remains at the bottom of the Henley Passport Index, with passport holders facing the largest mobility gap in the index’s 19-year history.
India’s ranking has seen fluctuations over the years, reaching its highest ranking of 71st in 2006. The country’s ranking fell significantly in 2021, likely due to global travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, India’s ranking has shown signs of recovery since 2021, rising to 80th in 2024 before falling to 85th in 2025.