Indian passport slips in latest rankings to 85th place

The Indian passport has slipped several places according to the latest passport rankings announced by a top aggregator.

The passport now ranks 85^th, tied with Mauritania, with visa-free access to 57 countries, according to the Henley Passport Index.

This is a sharp drop from the 77^th spot the document held earlier this year, while granting visa-free access to 59 countries.

For the first time since the Henley Passport Index was created 20 years ago, the US has fallen out of the world’s top 10 most powerful passports. Once unrivalled at No.1 in 2014, the American passport has plummeted to the 12th place, tied with Malaysia, with visa-free access to only 180 of 227 destinations worldwide. Similarly, the UK passport has slipped to its lowest-ever position on the index, dropping from 6th to 8th since July, despite also once holding the top spot in 2015.

“The decline of the US passport and its most recent drop from 10^th to 12^th position on the index has been driven by a series of access changes. The loss of visa-free access to Brazil in April due to a lack of reciprocity, and the US being left out of China’s rapidly expanding visa-free list, marked the start of its downward slide. This was followed by adjustments from Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, which further eroded the US score while boosting other passports. Most recently, Somalia’s launch of a new eVisa system and Vietnam’s decision to exclude the US from its latest visa-free additions delivered the final blow, pushing it out of the top 10,” Henley & Partners said.

Three Asian countries -- Singapore, South Korea, and Japan -- now dominates the rankings. Singapore leads with visa-free access to 193 destinations, followed closely by South Korea (190) and Japan (189).

China has been among the biggest climbers on the index over the past decade, leaping from 94^th place in 2015 to 64^th in 2025, with its visa-free access score increasing by 37 destinations during that time.

China has granted visa-free access to an additional 30 countries in the past year alone.

“Recent developments, including granting visa free access to Russia, underscore Beijing’s ongoing strategy of increased openness. China’s moves — alongside new agreements with the Gulf states, South America, and several European countries — are cementing its role as a global mobility powerhouse, bolstering the Asia-Pacific region’s dominance in travel freedom,” the report said.