Newsmakers

India's passport has dropped seven places in the 2026 Global Passport Power Rank, falling from 66th position in 2025 to 73rd in the latest 2026 ranking. The ranking, powered by Arton Capital, evaluates passports based on the travel access they provide to holders around the world.

India currently has a Mobility Score of 69, placing it alongside Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and São Tomé and Príncipe among 199 countries assessed in the latest ranking.

India Has Visa-Free Access to 25 Countries
According to the latest Global Passport Power Rank, Indian passport holders can travel to 25 countries without obtaining a visa in advance. They can also obtain visas on arrival in 39 countries, while a visa is required for travel to 129 countries.

The 2026 figures represent a change from last year, when India was ranked 66th with a Mobility Score of 73. At that time, Indian passport holders had visa-free access to 25 countries and visa-on-arrival access to 44 countries, while visas were required for 125 destinations.

The decline in rank therefore reflects changes in the overall mobility score and the relative position of other passports in the ranking.

UAE Tops the Global Passport Ranking
The United Arab Emirates holds the top position in the latest Global Passport Power Rank, with a Mobility Score of 181. UAE passport holders have visa-free access to 138 countries, visa-on-arrival access to 43 countries and require visas for 17 destinations.

At the other end of the ranking, Afghanistan occupies the 99th position with a Mobility Score of 35, making it the lowest-ranked passport in the index.

India Says Passport Rankings Lack Universal Standards
The latest ranking comes amid a broader discussion over how passport strength should be measured. The Indian government has previously questioned the use of privately produced passport rankings.

In a written response in the Lok Sabha on July 31, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said the government was aware of passport ratings published by private institutions. He said such rankings are based on parameters decided by the respective organisations and that there are no universally accepted criteria for ranking passports globally.

It is also important to note that the Global Passport Power Rank and Henley Passport Index are different rankings and use different methodologies. In the July 2026 Henley Passport Index, India was placed 81st, with access to 55 destinations through visa-free or visa-on-arrival arrangements.

The latest figures highlight how India's position can vary considerably depending on the index used and the criteria applied to measure international travel mobility.