New Delhi: The Indian passport has slipped to 125th position in the Global Passport Index 2026, highlighting the challenges Indian travellers continue to face in accessing destinations around the world without prior visa approvals.

According to the latest rankings, Indian passport holders currently enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 26 destinations. While the ranking remains significantly ahead of several South Asian neighbours, India continues to trail many emerging economies and remains outside the world's top 100 most powerful passports.

The latest position marks a slight setback for India after a modest improvement in recent years. The country had climbed to 124th place in 2025 after remaining at 127th between 2021 and 2023. The new ranking, however, places India one spot lower than last year.

For Indian travellers, the ranking reflects the number of countries that can be visited without obtaining a visa in advance. Popular destinations accessible through visa-free entry or visa-on-arrival arrangements include Bhutan, Nepal, Jamaica, Macau, Palestine, Tunisia, Angola and Barbados.

Despite these travel corridors, Indian citizens still need visas for entry into many of the world's most sought-after destinations. These include the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China and the United Arab Emirates, among several others. In total, Indians require visas to travel to nearly 88 countries.

Within Asia, China emerged as the better-performing neighbour, securing the 104th position. However, India continues to rank above several countries in South Asia. Bangladesh is placed 166th, Nepal 164th, while Pakistan is among the lowest-ranked passports globally at 188th position.

The Global Passport Index 2026 highlights the continued dominance of European countries in international travel mobility. Sweden secured the top spot, followed by Switzerland and Finland. Germany ranked fourth, while Denmark and the Netherlands shared fifth place. Ireland, the United Kingdom and Norway also featured among the world's strongest passports.

Singapore was the only Asian country to break into the global top 10, securing the 10th position.

Top 10 Most Powerful Passports in the Global Passport Index 2026

  1. Sweden
  2. Switzerland
  3. Finland
  4. Germany
  5. Denmark (joint)
  6. Netherlands (joint)
  7. Ireland
  8. United Kingdom
  9. Norway
  10. Singapore

The rankings reinforce a widening gap in global travel freedom, with European nations continuing to offer some of the broadest international mobility. For India, the latest position reflects gradual progress over the longer term, but also highlights the distance it must cover to join the ranks of the world's most travel-friendly passports.