The Indian passport has fallen to 125th place in the Global Passport Index (GPI) 2026, dropping one spot from 124th in 2025. Between 2021 and 2023, India ranked 127th.

According to the index, Indian citizens can travel visa-free to only 26 destinations. This places India behind Namibia (124th) and ahead of Azerbaijan (126th).

Indian passport holders can visit Bhutan, Nepal, Jamaica, Macau, Palestine, Tunisia, Angola, and Barbados without a visa or with a visa on arrival. However, they still need visas for approximately 88 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, and the UAE.

Despite the drop in rank, the GPI shows that India's overall passport score has reached its highest level in five years at 45.1 points. This is the best score since the index began tracking India in 2021.

The Global Passport Index measures passports based on three main factors: travel freedom, investment opportunities, and quality of life, rather than just the number of visa-free destinations.

Source: www.dw.com