India slips 5 spots in list of world's most powerful passports; Singapore leads

India slips 5 spots in list of world's most powerful passports; Singapore leads

India slips 5 spots in list of world's most powerful passports; Singapore leads ByHT News Desk Jan 09, 2025 05:39 PM IST Share Via Copy Link As per its latest standing, an Indian passport holder can travel visa-free to 57 destinations.

India's ranking has dropped five places – from 80th to 85th – in the list of the world's most powerful passports, according to the Henley Passport Index 2025.

The Henley Passport Index ranks all the world’s 199 passports according to the number of destinations they can access visa-free.(File)

The Henley Passport Index ranks all 199 passports according to the number of destinations they can access visa-free. It is based on exclusive Timatic data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

As per its latest standing, an Indian passport holder can travel visa-free to 57 destinations. The country shares its rank with Equatorial Guinea and Niger.

Singapore has continued to dominate the list of the world's strongest passports, achieving a top rank in 2025 as well. According to the Henley Passport Index, a person with a Singapore passport can travel visa-free to 195 destinations across the world.

It is followed by Japan (193 countries), Finland (192 countries), France (192 countries), Germany (192 countries), Italy (192 countries), South Korea (192 countries), Spain (192 countries), Austria (191 countries) and Denmark (191 countries).

The UAE has been one of the biggest climbers on the index over the past decade, having secured access to an additional 72 destinations since 2015, enabling it to climb 32 places to the 10th spot with visa-free access to 185 destinations worldwide.

Surprisingly, the US is the second-biggest faller between 2015 and 2025 after Venezuela, plummeting seven places from 2nd to its current 9th position, according to a release by Henley and Partners.

Also Read | Indian passport holder gets 10-year US visa, calls it ‘best travel investment’

“Even before the advent of a second Trump presidency, American political trends had become notably inward-looking and isolationist. Even though US economic health relies heavily on immigration, tourism, and trade, voters during the 2024 presidential campaign were fed a narrative that America can (and should) stand alone…" Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate at Washington thinktank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said.

In 2025, Pakistan and Yemen shared the 103rd position on the Henley Passport Index, both with visa-free access to only 33 countries. They are followed by Iraq (31 countries), Syria and (27 countries) and Afghanistan (26 countries).

Also Read | Russia likely to begin visa-free travel for Indians from 2025

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