India’s Passport Ranked 125th in Global Passport Index 2026

India’s passport has ranked at 125th out of a total of 197 countries in the Global Passport Index (GPI) 2026, which was published by Global Citizen Solutions. India slipped one position compared to the last year, and India’s overall passport has reached a score of 45.1, which is the highest in the last 5 years. This ranking shows mix picture, as India has improved in areas such as quality of life and investment potential, but limited global travel mobility impacts the overall position.

India Ranked 125th in the Global Passport Index 2026

According to the Global Passport Index 2026, India ranks at 125th position in the world, slipping from 124th spot in the last edition.

Despite the drop in ranking, India’s combined composite score improved to 45.1, which is the country’s strongest ever performance in the index over the last five years.

Over the longer period, India has made only modest progress; it moved from 127th place in 2021 to 125th in 2026.

Why Did India’s Passport Ranking Fall Despite a Higher Score?

At first, India’s overall score looks inconsistent with the lower-ranking countries, but the explanation lies in how the Global Passport Index evaluates passports.

Compared to passport rankings that focus solely on visa-free travel, the Global Passport Index uses a broader assessment based on three key pillars,

1. Enhanced Mobility (50%)
2. Quality of Living (25%)
3. Investment Opportunities (25%)

By the way, India performed better in quality of life and investment indicators, but its relatively weak global travel mobility has prevented a higher overall ranking. At the same time, there are several other countries are improved faster, it caused India to slip one position despite its record-breaking score.

Performance of India Across the Three Index Pillars

India’s rankings have varied significantly across the three evaluation categories.

1. Enhanced Mobility

India ranked at 136th in the Enhanced Mobility Index, which carries the highest weightage at around 50%. This category measures the international travel freedom as well as the attractiveness of the destinations accessible to passport holders.

The limited visa-free access to major global economies continues to affect India’s performance in this category.

2. Quality of Living

India has also shown a notable improvement by ranking 118th in the Quality of Living Index.

This improvement reflects progress in factors such as the

• Healthcare
• Education
• Personal safety
• Overall living conditions

3. Investment Opportunities

India ranked at 94th in the Investment Index, and it improved by three places compared to the last edition.

How Many Countries Can Indian Passport Holders Visit Without a Visa?

According to the Global Passport Index,

According to the Global Passport Index, Indian passport holders currently enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 26 destinations.

Some of these includes,

• Bhutan
• Nepal
• Jamaica
• Barbados
• Macau
• Tunisia
• Angola
• Palestine

However, Indian travellers still require visas before visiting several many major destinations, including,

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• France
• China
• United Arab Emirates

The relatively limited visa-free access significantly impacts the country’s mobility score.

Top 10 Countries in the Global Passport Index 2026

In the ranking, European countries continue to dominate because of their strong travel freedom, quality of life, and investment environment.

Country in Top-10

Sweden has secured the top position with an overall score of 96.05, which reflects outstanding performance across all three evaluation pillars.

How Does Global Passport Index Differ from the Henley Passport Index?

Many people compare India’s position in the Global Passport Index with its ranking in the Henley Passport Index, which uses two different methodologies.

The Henley Passport Index primarily ranks passports based on the number of destinations that are accessible without obtaining a visa in advance.

In contrast, the Global Passport Index considers a broader set of the indicators, including the,

• Global mobility
• Quality of life
• Investment opportunities

As a result of this, India’s position in the Global Passport Index is significantly lower than its ranking in passport indices that focus mainly on visa-free travel.

How India Compares with Its Neighbours

Although India’s global ranking remains outside the top 100, it continues to perform better than several South Asian neighbours.

According to the latest rankings,

• India – 125th
• Nepal – 164th
• Bangladesh – 166th
• Pakistan – 188th

China, despite being as one of the world’s largest economies, it ranked at 104th, highlighting the economic size alone does not determine passport strength.