The Indian passport ranking 2026 places India at 75th in the world this year. Holders can walk into 56 countries without sorting out a visa beforehand. That’s the headline but the real story behind the Indian passport ranking 2026 has a few twists most people miss.
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Wait, Did the Indian Passport Ranking 2026 Actually Go Up?
My neighbour Ramesh came over sometime last month, phone in hand, showing me a news headline. India jumped 10 spots in passport ranking! He was half planning a European trip already. I had to slow him down.
Because here’s what that headline didn’t say – the actual number of countries Indians can visit visa-free went down. From 57 last year to 56 now. So we lost one destination and yet the rank climbed 10 positions. That sounds like a contradiction, I know.
Not a perfect outcome. But I’ll take the upgrade.
What Happened With Iran and Bolivia – Indian Passport Ranking 2026 Explained
This section genuinely troubled me when I read into it properly.
Iran removed visa-free access for Indians back in November 2025, and the reason wasn’t some trade dispute or political fallout – it was trafficking. Real, documented cases. Indian nationals were being contacted with fake job and travel offers; they’d enter Iran using the visa-free facility, and then they’d be held for ransom. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed these incidents. After that, Iran completely withdrew from the arrangement. You now need a full visa before travelling there – no exceptions.
You apply online, get an approval, and then travel. Sounds minor – but under Henley’s rules, anything requiring pre-trip approval counts as a visa requirement. So Bolivia got knocked off our list even though the actual process isn’t that painful.
Which 56 Countries Can Indians Visit Visa-Free in 2026? Indian Passport Ranking 2026 List
Right. This is the bit most people scroll straight to. Let me go region by region.
Asia and Pacific
Philippines allows short visa-free visits too. Kazakhstan – which honestly most people don’t think of as a travel destination – extended a 60-day exemption for Indians. If you’ve ever had even a passing interest in Central Asia, that door is open now.
Africa
Every single time I mention African destinations, people act shocked. I don’t know why anymore, but here we are.
Kenya, Rwanda, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania Zanzibar especially, Ethiopia – no advance visa required for any of these. Kenya and Rwanda specifically dropped the need for advance visas altogether. You land, pay a fee at the counter, done. If a safari has been sitting on your list for years, there’s really no paperwork reason to keep pushing it off.
The Gambia got added back in February 2026 – that’s partly why our number went from 55 to 56 this month. Small addition, but it moved the needle.
The Places That Still Require a Visa
Might as well be upfront – USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, all 26 Schengen countries in Europe. None of that changed. Full applications, supporting documents, sometimes an interview, waiting period, the whole thing. That’s still 170+ destinations where the Indian passport alone won’t get you through.
This is the uncomfortable part of the story. Most of the places Indians want to visit most – for work, studies, long holidays – still need a proper visa. That gap is real and it’s large.
Indian Passport Ranking 2026 vs Its Neighbors – The Honest Numbers
I get asked this comparison constantly. So here it is, plain and simple.
Maldives – 49th globally, access to 93+ countries. Nobody expects that from such a small nation. But there it is.
China – 56th place, 82 countries. Still ahead of India. Worth knowing.
Why Is the Indian Passport Ranking 2026 Actually Improving?
Most news coverage skips past this part. I find it the most interesting bit.
The improvement isn’t happening by accident. A significant chunk of it comes from actual diplomatic work – governments sitting across tables from each other and negotiating access. Thailand and Sri Lanka didn’t extend visa-free entry to Indians because they felt like it one morning. There were formal talks, trade interests, tourism revenue projections. Real work behind the scenes.
India also made a quiet move – waiving short-stay e-visa fees for travellers from several ASEAN nations. When you do that, those governments tend to notice. Often they return the favour. That’s genuinely how a lot of these bilateral travel deals get going.
And then there’s the economic side. India is the 5th largest economy in the world right now. Indian tourists spend real money when they travel. Foreign governments have a straightforward financial reason to make entry easy for Indian visitors – it fills hotel rooms and restaurants.
There are reportedly active talks with Oman and Serbia for short-stay waivers. A broader EU-India mobility framework has also been discussed for a while now. If that EU deal ever lands, it would make a serious difference for Indian professionals trying to work or study in Europe.
Nothing confirmed yet on those fronts. But the direction is encouraging.
How the Henley Index Decides Indian Passport Ranking 2026
People get confused by this so let me break it down simply.
The Henley Passport Index measures 199 passports against 227 travel destinations. For every destination you can enter without getting a visa before you travel – fully visa-free, visa-on-arrival at the airport, or a basic electronic travel authorization – your passport earns one point. The moment you need to apply for anything in advance, even a quick online e-visa, that destination counts as zero.
India’s total: 56. Singapore’s: 192.
That’s the gap. And it’s big.
The index updates multiple times a year, so rankings shift as global visa policies change. What’s accurate in February 2026 might look slightly different by mid-year. Always check fresh data before booking anything international.
What You Should Do With the Indian Passport Ranking 2026 Information This Year
Planning Southeast Asia, East Africa, or Caribbean travel – go ahead and move forward. Things have genuinely loosened up in these regions. Less paperwork, no visa fees for many destinations, quicker entry.
Headed to the US, UK, Europe, or Australia – nothing has changed there. Give yourself real lead time on applications. Start well in advance. Don’t leave things to the last minute.
Iran or Bolivia on your plans – please verify the current rules from scratch. Don’t rely on anything you read before late 2025. Finding out at the departure gate that your assumption was wrong is an awful experience that’s completely avoidable.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Indian Passport Ranking 2026
Q1. Will the Indian Passport Ranking 2026 Continue to Improve?
Possibly. Short-stay waivers are actively negotiated with Oman and Serbia. The possibility of an EU-India mobility agreement might also provide tremendous access to Europeans. It looks possible to break into the world’s top 70 in case one or two of these deals are closed.
Q2. What Is the Highest Indian Passport Ranking 2026 Has Ever Seen?
In 2006, India made its highest ranking of 71 st on the Henley Passport Index. The present 75 th position is almost the same as that historical peak.
Q3. Does the Henley Index Count E-Visas in the Indian Passport Ranking 2026?
No. Any place where travelling involves online pre-approval before travelling, even a mere e- visa, will not receive a single point according to the methodology of Henley. True visa-free entry, border visa-on-arrival and basic eTAs without prior approval are the only qualifying ones.
Q4. How Often Is the Indian Passport Ranking 2026 Updated?
Several times per year. The Indian ranking also changed between January 2026 80 th, 55 countries and February 2026 75 th, 56 countries with the latest policy changes being adopted in the world.
