India Rises to 80th on the Henley Passport Index

India’s passport has become slightly stronger globally, moving up to 80th place in the Henley Passport Index for 2026, an improvement from last year’s rank of 85. The index shows how many countries a passport holder can enter without applying for a visa beforehand.

Indian citizens can now travel to 55 countries either visa-free, with visa-on-arrival or with an electronic travel authorisation. These destinations are mostly in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Oceania. This gives Indians somewhat better travel flexibility for trips related to tourism or business.

However, India is still far behind top-ranking passports like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, whose citizens can travel to over 180 places without a visa. Indian travellers still need to apply for visas for most European countries, the UK, the US and Canada, showing that global mobility remains limited compared to many other nations.

Source: cnbctv18.com