Indian passport ranking: Govt rejects global ratings, says 27 countries offer visa-free entry
The Indian passport ranked 125th in the Global Passport Index 2026 as of 30 June.
The Centre rejected the global rating of India's position in global passport mobility rankings and said that 27 countries offered visa-free entry to Indian passport holders.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that visa issuance is a sovereign matter for a country and depends on various factors, including bilateral relations and the principle of reciprocity.
The Indian passport ranked 125th in the Global Passport Index 2026, published by the residency and citizenship advisory firm Global Citizen Solutions (GCS) on 30 June.
The Henley Passport Index, another ranking of passports globally, placed the Indian passport at 80th rank, down from 85th in 2025.
Global ranking of Indian passport
The government said it is aware of India's position in global passport mobility rankings, but noted that “such ratings are published by certain private institutions based on parameters unilaterally decided by them”.
“In the absence of universally acceptable criteria to rank passports, there is no ranking system for passports at the global level that can be taken as a standard,” the written reply read.
Singh also shared that currently, 27 countries offer visa-free entry to Indian passport holders, 47 offer a visa-on-arrival facility, and 66 offer an e-Visa facility.
“The Government of India is engaged in continuous efforts with other countries to enhance ease of travel of Indian citizens around the world through visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival and e-Visa facilities,” he said.
Issuing visas ‘sovereign matter’
Singh also said that the issuance of visas is a sovereign matter for a country, and visa-free entry/visa-on-arrival facilities depend on various factors, including bilateral relations and the principle of reciprocity.
“Keeping that in mind, the Government of India engages in regular dialogue with foreign countries on visa policies intended to improve ease of travel for Indian citizens, including visa-free travel opportunities, mobility and travel facilitation, visa overstay concerns, passport security and immigration procedures,” he said.
The Centre said that expanding visa-free travel opportunities for Indian citizens is done through bilateral mechanisms, such as Consular Dialogues as well as Official and High-Level visits.
“The Government of India has made sustained efforts to align the Indian passport with the latest international guidelines,” the Centre said. “The updated security features on electronic travel documents comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines.”
Jamaica
Macau
Nepal
Palestine
Tunisia
Free Access (Limited Days)
Angola
Barbados
Dominica
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Gambia
Grenada
Haiti
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Malaysia
Maldives
Mauritius
Qatar
Rwanda
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Senegal
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Vanuatu
About the Author
Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.
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