Indian passport’s strength fell five positions, placing it at the 85th rank in the latest Henley Passport Index. The power of a nation’s passport reflects the number of countries that permit its holder to enter without a visa.
India is tied for the 85th position on the Henley Passport Index alongside Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. Holders of Indian passports, similar to citizens of the other two nations, enjoy visa-free entry to 57 locations.
The Singapore passport ranked first on the index, granting Singaporeans visa-free entry to 195 locations.
Japan’s passport ranked as the second most powerful, allowing Japanese citizens visa-free entry to 193 countries.
The third position was held by six nations — Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and Spain — whose passport holders enjoyed visa-free entry to 192 countries.
The Henley Passport Index evaluates 199 nations, utilizing unique data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the largest and most precise travel information database.
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The UAE has risen significantly on the index in the last ten years, obtaining entry to 72 more destinations since 2015, which has allowed it to ascend 32 positions to the 10th rank with visa-free access to 185 locations globally.
Unexpectedly, the US ranks as the second-largest dropper from 2015 to 2025 following Venezuela, descending seven spots from 2nd to its current 9th place, according to a report by Henley and Partners.
“Even before the advent of a second Trump presidency, American political trends had become notably inward-looking and isolationist. Even though US economic health relies heavily on immigration, tourism, and trade, voters during the 2024 presidential campaign were fed a narrative that America can (and should) stand alone…” Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate at Washington thinktank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said.
