Photo: Mehaniq41 / Envato Elements
Indian passport ranks 84th in Henley index, with 55 visa-free destinations
India rose one place to 84th in the October 2026 Henley Passport Index, but its score fell from 57 to 55 destinations. What the count includes and what it does not tell you.
What the index says
India ranks 84th in the October 2026 edition of the Henley Passport Index, dated 9 October, according to Henley & Partners. It shares the place with Algeria and Mauritania. India scores 55: Indian passport holders can reach 55 destinations without a prior visa. Henley’s historical chart shows India at 85th in 2025, so the rank is up one place; Business Today reports the score was 57 a year earlier, so it is down two. The index uses airline data from IATA and covers 199 passports and 227 destinations.
Why a higher rank does not mean easier travel
A rank is relative. India’s score fell by two, so the one-place rise does not mean Indians gained entry anywhere. At the top, Singapore leads with 193 destinations, Japan, South Korea and the UAE are joint second with 188, and the United Kingdom and the United States are at 184 and 180 respectively.
What the number counts
Henley’s score counts destinations a passport holder can reach without a prior visa. That is not the same as no formalities: permitted stay and entry conditions differ by country, and Henley notes that travel bans can take precedence over the visa information it records. For example, Thailand cut visa-free stays for Indians to 30 days from 15 September (see our report).
What it means for your trip
Treat the index as a rough guide, not a booking tool. Rules change at short notice, and the index is updated through the year. Check the destination’s official immigration or embassy page, or ask us, before you book flights. Our visa and entry reports cover rule changes as they happen.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- The Henley Passport Index: 2026 Global Ranking (9 October 2026) — Henley & Partners, 09 October 2026
- Henley Passport Index 2026: Indian passport climbs to 84th rank, visa-free countries falls to 55 — Business Today, 14 October 2026
More travel news
A closer look at your journey — the detail that turns information into a journey genuinely worth taking.
Flights & AviationAir India will fly nonstop between Delhi and Osaka Kansai four times a week from 2 February 2027, opening up Osaka-in, Tokyo-out itineraries for the spring cherry-blossom season.
Destination NewsThailand’s Revenue Department is consulting on a ฿1,000 tax on every departure by air, for travellers of every nationality. It is a proposal, not a rule: trips you book now are not affected.
Travel AlertsItaly has a general strike on 30 October, with trains hit from the 29th and Pisa and Florence airports out, plus air and rail strikes in November. France strikes on 5 November; Dutch bus unions plan weekly action.