Indian passport rank slips to 125th in Global Passport Index 2026

The country’s biggest challenge remains global mobility, where it ranks 136th, significantly pulling down its overall position, according to the index. The Indian passport currently provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 26 destinations. 

India's passport has slipped one place to 125th among 197 countries in the Global Passport Index 2026, highlighting the country's continuing challenges in international mobility despite improvements in its overall performance.

The latest index assesses passports across three key parameters: Enhanced Mobility (50%), Investment Opportunities (25%) and Quality of Life (25%), offering a broader measure of passport strength beyond visa-free access.

While India's ranking dropped marginally from last year, the country recorded its highest composite score in the past five years at 45.1, driven by improvements in domestic development, economic opportunities and overall quality-of-life indicators. 

However, India's biggest challenge remains global mobility, where it ranks 136th, significantly pulling down its overall position, according to the index. The Indian passport currently provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 26 destinations, while travel to major global economies such as the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union continue to require a full visa process.

The Global Passport Index analyses around 200 countries across 15 indicators, measuring the real-world advantages that citizenship and residency provide in terms of mobility, economic opportunity and quality of life.

For Indian outbound that continues to surge with 44 million travellers estimated to take trips in 2026, the ranking reinforces the continued importance of visa facilitation initiatives, simplified application procedures and stronger diplomatic agreements to improve international travel access in the years ahead.

(Extracted from various sources)