India’s passport ranking drops to 85 among 199 countries

India has dropped from the 80th position to the 85th out of 199 countries in a list of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index released on Wednesday.

The index, published by citizenship and residence consultancy firm Henley and Partners, measures the strength of all the passports around the world based on how many destinations can be accessed by the passport-holders of a specific country without a pre-departure visa.

According to data available on the firm’s website for years between 2006 and 2025, India ranked the lowest in 2021 at 90. Its best ranking was 71 in 2006. Last year, the country was ranked at 85.

The ranking in the latest index was India’s lowest since 2021.

Indians can travel to 57 countries without a visa, as per the latest index. Last year, Indians could travel to 62 countries without requiring a visa.

In the 2025 index, India shared the 85th spot with Equatorial Guinea and Niger. Among India’s neighbours, Pakistan stood at 103, which was a drop from its rank of 101 in 2024, and Bangladesh was at 100. It was 97 in 2024.

Singapore retained its top rank in the passport index. Citizens of the Southeast Asian city-state can travel to 195 nations without a pre-departure visa. Japan had…

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