India drops to 125th position in Global Passport Index 2026 It remains outside the top 100 despite a slight improvement last year The country’s ranking dropped again after rising from 127th between 2021 and 2023 to 124th in 2025, and it will now offer visa-free travel to just 26 destinations.
Indian passports lag behind countries such as Namibia, the Philippines, Morocco and Uzbekistan, while they are ahead of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. Indian passport holders can travel to Bhutan, Nepal, Jamaica, Macau, Palestine, Tunisia, Angola and Barbados without a visa or with a visa on arrival.
But they still need a visa to enter some 88 countries, including the US, Britain, Germany, France, China and the United Arab Emirates.
Among India’s neighboring countries, China ranks 104th, ahead of India (125th). But compared to other South Asian countries, India’s position is slightly better. Bangladesh ranks 166th, Nepal 164th and Pakistan 188th among the lowest ranked countries in the index.
The top 10 of the Global Passport Index 2026 includes mostly European countries, reflecting the continent’s strong position in terms of travel convenience around the world.
The United States and France both ranked 11th, with Canada at the top at 13th. This puts Europe clearly ahead of everyone when it comes to the most powerful passports in the world.
