(Image source from: Canva.com)
India has dropped to the 85th position in the 2025 Henley Passport Index, allowing visa-free entry to 57 nations. The previous year, India's passport was placed at 80th with access to 62 locations without needing a visa.
Singapore remains the strongest passport, granting visa-free travel to 193 nations. This year, South Korea ranks second with 190 countries, while Japan is in third place, permitting travel to 189 nations. Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland are tied for fourth place, providing visa-free access to 188 countries. Meanwhile, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands share the fifth spot, allowing travelers to visit 187 countries without a visa. In sixth place, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden offer access to 186 nations without needing a visa. Australia, Czechia, Malta, and Poland are ranked seventh, granting visa-free access to 185 countries.
The eighth position is held by Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, offering visa-free travel to 184 countries. Canada ranks ninth with access to 183 nations without a visa. Latvia and Liechtenstein complete the top 10 with visa-free entry to 182 countries. The United States is in 12th place alongside Malaysia, permitting travel to 180 countries without a visa. This is the first occasion that the US has dropped out of the top 10 in this index. Last year, the leading position was shared by France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Singapore with access to 194 visa-free destinations, while the US held seventh place with visa-free access to 188 countries. In the 2025 listing, India is tied for the 85th position with Mauritania. Nations such as Angola, Barbados, Bhutan, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Burundi, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand do not require a visa for Indian passport holders.
In India's surrounding region, Pakistan is at 103rd place with visa-free entry to 31 countries, Bangladesh is 100th with access to 38 destinations, Nepal ranks 101st with 36 nations accessible, and Bhutan is 92nd with 50 countries that do not require a visa. Sri Lanka is in the 98th position, permitting its citizens to travel to 41 visa-free places. Afghanistan has the weakest passport globally, allowing access to just 24 nations, followed by Syria and Iraq, with 26 and 29 visa-free destinations respectively. The Henley Passport Index is an international ranking of countries based on the travel freedom provided by their ordinary passports for citizens. It was first introduced in 2005 as the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index and was later renamed the Henley Passport Index in January 2018.
