Our Bureau
New Delhi
India has climbed 10 places on the Henley Passport Index, moving from 85th in 2025 to 75th in 2026, yet Indian travellers now enjoy visa‑free access to two fewer countries than last year. The latest data shows that holders of ordinary Indian passports can enter 56 destinations without prior visa approval, down from 57 in 2025, even as the country’s global mobility ranking improves.
The two countries that have effectively dropped off India’s visa‑free list are Iran and Bolivia. Iran suspended its visa‑waiver facility for ordinary Indian passport holders in November 2025, following a spate of cases in which Indian nationals were lured to the Islamic Republic with fake job offers and then kidnapped for ransom. Since then, Indians have had to obtain a visa in advance, removing Iran from the “visa‑free” category used by the Henley index.
Bolivia, meanwhile, has shifted Indian travellers from a visa‑on‑arrival regime to an e‑visa system, which requires online application, document uploads and prior approval. Because the index counts only destinations that do not require advance authorisation, Bolivia no longer qualifies as visa‑free for Indians. The January 2026 tally briefly fell to 55 countries, but the addition of The Gambia by February restored the count to 56.
Analysts say India’s ranking jump reflects relative gains against other passports rather than an absolute improvement in access. The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports by how many destinations their holders can reach without pre‑departure visa approval, including visa‑free, visa‑on‑arrival and basic electronic travel authorisations. As several other countries lost more ground on visa‑free access, India’s modest dip still translated into a higher position on the global mobility ladder.
