Indian passport jumps 9 spots in new rankings, more visa-free destinations added

Mid-year passport rankings have just been released, and Singapore has continued to hold the crown as the world’s most powerful passport.

The country’s passport allows visa-free access to 193 destinations out of 227 globally, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.

The second spot is shared by Japan and South Korea, each granting their citizens access to 190 destinations visa-free.

Seven EU passports share 3rd place — Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, all with access to 189 destinations. Meanwhile, another set of European countries, with visa-free entry to 188 destinations, are joint 4th — Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. New Zealand, the only nation to challenge the regional dominance, ties in 5th place with Greece and Switzerland.

At the other end of the global mobility spectrum, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the ranking, with its citizens able to access just 25 destinations without a prior visa — a staggering mobility gap of 168 destinations between the top- and bottom-ranked passports.

The UK and US have each dropped a place in the global passport rankings since January, continuing a long-term downward trend. Once the most powerful passports in the world — the UK in 2015 and the US in 2014 — they now rank 6th and 10th, respectively. The UK currently has visa-free access to 186 destinations, while the US trails with 182. Notably, the US is now on the brink of exiting the Top 10 altogether for the first time in the index’s 20-year history.

India has recorded the largest jump in ranking over the past six months, climbing eight places from 85th to 77th, despite only adding two destinations to its visa-free tally, now at 59. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has made the biggest gain in visa-free access, adding four destinations since January. Its total now stands at 91, lifting the kingdom four places to 54th.

A long-term retrospective view of the index reveals a general global shift towards increased openness, greater mobility, and rising passport strength. Over the past decade, more than 80 passports have climbed at least 10 places, and the global average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

The UAE continues to be a standout among the top risers, shooting up 34 places over the last 10 years from 42nd to 8th place, making it the only big riser to break into the top 10 in the ranking.

Another notable winner is China, also rising 34 places from 94th to 60th since 2015 — particularly impressive considering that, unlike other top risers, China has not yet gained visa-free access to Europe’s Schengen Area.

China’s rise has, however, been assisted by its significant move towards greater openness.

According to the Henley Openness Index, which ranks all 199 countries worldwide according to the number of nationalities they permit entry to without a prior visa, China has granted visa-free access to over a dozen new passports since January, bringing its total openness score to 75 nations, a remarkable shift considering it allowed visa-free entry to fewer than 20 countries just five years ago.

Notable additions to China’s visa-free list in 2025 include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia — which means that citizens of all Gulf Cooperation Council countries can travel to China with no prior visa — as well as several South American nations including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. China’s granting of visa-free access to several European states over the past two years has also contributed to the dominance of European passports at the top of the Henley Passport Power Index, which measures the percentage of global GDP each passport provides to its holders visa-free.

China’s increased openness has been part of an ongoing strategy to attract more visitors, and combined with the strong passports of its maritime neighbors and Singapore, the Asia-Pacific region is a leading driver of global travel.

IATA’s director general Willie Walsh says overall demand for air travel showed strong 5.8 percent growth over the first five months of 2025, with some regional variations.

“Asia-Pacific airlines led the way with 9.5 percent growth. In North America, international traffic grew by 1.8 percent, but this was offset by a 1 percent contraction in the domestic market, leaving demand effectively flat over the period. Importantly, despite economic and geopolitical uncertainties, consumer confidence appears to be strong, with robust forward bookings for the peak Northern summer travel season giving good reason for optimism.”