Indian Passport Slips to 85th Spot in Global Rankings
New Delhi: The Indian passport has fallen several places in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking 85th globally. India now shares this position with Mauritania, offering visa-free access to 57 destinations worldwide.
According to the report by London-based consultancy Henley & Partners, Asian countries continue to dominate the 2025 global passport rankings. Singapore leads the list with visa-free access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea (190) and Japan (189).
China has made remarkable progress in global mobility over the past decade, moving from 94th place in 2015 to 64th in 2025. Chinese passport holders can now travel visa-free to 37 more countries than ten years ago. In the past year alone, Beijing secured 30 new visa-free agreements with nations across Europe, South America, and the Gulf region, including a notable deal with Russia—a move seen as part of its broader strategy to enhance openness.
The Henley report noted that these developments, combined with growing cooperation among Asian and Gulf nations, have strengthened the Asia-Pacific region’s leadership in global travel freedom.
European countries maintained strong positions at No. 4 and No. 5, joined by New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. The United Arab Emirates showed one of the biggest gains, rising from 10th to 8th place, granting its citizens visa-free access to 184 destinations as of October 2025.
In contrast, the United States has fallen to 12th place, tied with Malaysia, with visa-free access to 180 destinations, down from its top position in 2014. The United Kingdom has also recorded its lowest-ever ranking, slipping to No. 8, two spots below last year, despite having topped the index a decade ago in 2015.
