India’s global image is constantly improving, and its effect is also visible in the strength of India’s passport. In the recently released Henley Passport Index 2025 report, India has jumped eight places to reach 77th position. In this list, Indian passport holders have got the facility of visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel in 59 countries, which is a better performance than last year.
Ranking of top countries
Singapore’s passport has been considered the most powerful in this report. Singapore citizens can travel to 193 countries without visa or visa-on-arrival. Japan and South Korea are jointly in second place, whose passport holders enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival facility in 190 countries. Several European countries such as Germany, France and Spain are in third place, whose passport holders are allowed to travel to 189 countries. Outside Asia, New Zealand is the only non-European country in the top five.
US and UK rankings drop
In this ranking of the Henley Passport Index, the ranking of big countries like the US and the UK has seen a decline in the last few years. The UK is now in sixth place, while the US has slipped to 10th place. The US is allowed visa-free travel to 182 countries, which is the lowest in its history. Various reasons are believed to be behind this, including strict immigration rules and increasing global political challenges.
India’s progress and the situation of other countries
Along with India, Saudi Arabia has also jumped four places to the 54th position. On the other hand, Afghanistan remains the worst-hit country, with its passport holders allowed visa-free entry to only 25 countries.
Global changes and new trends
The power of the global passport has changed significantly over the past ten years. Over 80 countries have moved up their rankings by at least 10 places during this period. The UAE in particular has made a big leap, jumping 34 places to eighth place, where its citizens can travel visa-free to 186 countries.
China has also improved its position and reached 60th place. The number of visa-free countries for China has now increased from 20 to 75. This includes Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and many South American countries, which reflects China’s policy of promoting global travel.
What is the Henley Passport Index?
The Henley Passport Index is a major ranking of the world’s countries’ passport strengths based on how many countries a country’s citizens can travel to without a visa or visa-on-arrival. The index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
