There has been a big improvement in the strength of the Indian passport in the last one year. According to the 2026 report by Henley & Partners, the organization that releases passport rankings, India has jumped 5 places and has now reached number 80. Last year i.e. in 2025, India was at 85th position. This new ranking means that Indian citizens can now travel to 55 countries across the world either visa-free or visa-on-arrival.
Singapore’s dominance continues, Japan at second place
When it comes to the most powerful passport in the world, Singapore remains at number one for the second consecutive year. Singapore citizens get visa-free entry into 192 out of 227 countries in the world. After this comes Japan and South Korea, who are jointly in second place. Citizens of these two countries can travel to 188 countries without prior visa. In third place are Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, which have the facility of visa-free entry in 186 countries.
India’s position: 85th to 80th
The ranking of 2026 has brought good news for India. India’s rank was 80 in 2024, which fell to 85 in 2025. Now in 2026 it has improved again and is back at 80th position. However, one thing to note is that despite the improvement in the ranking, there has been a slight decrease in the number of visa-free countries. In 2025, Indians could visit 57 countries without visa, which has now reduced to 55 countries.
Pakistan and Bangladesh included in world’s weakest passports
The condition of India’s neighboring countries is quite bad in this ranking. Pakistani passport has been declared the 5th weakest passport in the world. However, Pakistan’s ranking has also improved and it has come down from 103 to 98, but still it is at the bottom. Pakistani citizens can visit visa-free only in 31 countries. At the same time, Bangladeshi passport is at number 95 and it is considered to be the 8th weakest passport in the world. The worst situation is that of Afghanistan, which is at the bottom of the list at 101st position.
Passport ranking of major countries of the world
In the table given below, you can easily understand the status of the world’s strongest and weakest passports:
Country Rank (2026) Number of visa-free countries Singapore 1 192 Japan/South Korea 2 188 India 80 55 Bangladesh 95 Visa-free data not available Pakistan 98 31 Afghanistan 101 Lowest in the world
On what basis is ranking obtained?
The Henley Passport Index releases its reports twice a year (January and July). This ranking is based entirely on how many other countries a passport holder of a country can visit without obtaining a visa beforehand. This is called ‘Visa-Free Score’. This data is taken from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is updated in real time to reflect changes in visa policies. In simple words, the more countries whose citizens can visit without a visa, the stronger their passport is considered.
Last Updated: 17 January 2026
