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Indian passport jumps 9 spots in global rankings; Visa-Free access expands to 59 destinations

Indian passport jumps 9 spots in global rankings; Visa-Free access expands to 59 destinations

India has achieved the biggest leap in the latest Henley Passport Index, climbing nine places from 85th to 77th, even though it added only two new visa-free destinations, bringing its total to 59.

Singapore retained the top spot with access to 193 destinations. Japan and South Korea followed with 190; seven EU countries (Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain) ranked third with 189; New Zealand, Greece, and Switzerland placed fifth with 187, according to media reports.

Afghanistan remained at the bottom, with access to just 25 countries, highlighting a 168-destination gap between the top and bottom passports.

Other notable movements — Saudi Arabia rose four spots to 54th, with visa-free access to 91 destinations; UAE surged 34 places over a decade, now 8th globally; China rose from 94th to 60th since 2015 and expanded visa-free access to 75 nationalities, including all GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia) and South American nations like Brazil and Argentina.

The UK and US continued their decline, now ranked 6th (186 destinations) and 10th (182), respectively.

According to IATA, global air travel demand grew 5.8% in the first five months of 2025, led by Asia-Pacific airlines with 9.5% growth, reinforcing the region’s dominance in global mobility.





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