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Indian passport has dropped seven places to 73rd in the latest 2026 Global Passport Power Rank (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: The Indian passport has slipped seven places in the latest 2026 Global Passport Power Rank, with India now placed at 73rd position. The ranking puts India alongside Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe, Sao Tome and Principe, and Vietnam, according to the latest Passport Index data.
India's current Mobility Score stands at 69, compared with 73 last year. The score is based on the travel access available to passport holders, including visa-free and visa-on-arrival privileges.
The latest figures mean Indian travellers now have visa-free access to 25 countries and visa-on-arrival access to 39 countries. A visa is required in advance for 129 countries listed in the ranking.
The seven-place fall comes alongside a decline in India's Mobility Score from 73 in 2025 to 69 in 2026.
According to the latest data, India has retained visa-free access to 25 countries but now has visa-on-arrival access to 39 destinations, down from 44 last year. The number of destinations where Indian passport holders require a visa has also risen from 125 to 129.
In other words, the change is not simply about India's position on a list. The underlying mobility score has also fallen because the number of destinations offering easier entry has changed.
The Passport Index currently places India at rank 73 among 199 countries, with a Mobility Score of 69. The index uses mobility access to compare passports, with higher scores indicating access to more destinations without obtaining a visa in advance.
For Indian travellers, this means the passport continues to provide relatively straightforward access to a number of destinations, but many countries still require an advance visa application.
It is also important to note that passport rankings can differ because different indexes use different methodologies and criteria.
The United Arab Emirates currently tops the Global Passport Power Rank with a Mobility Score of 181.
According to the latest Passport Index data, UAE passport holders have visa-free access to 138 countries and visa-on-arrival access to 43. They require a visa for 17 countries.
At the other end of the table, Afghanistan is ranked 99th with a Mobility Score of 35. Its passport holders have visa-free access to six countries and visa-on-arrival access to 29 countries, while 163 destinations require a visa.
India does not occupy the 73rd position alone. The country shares the rank with Zimbabwe, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Sao Tome and Principe, and Vietnam. All are listed with the same Mobility Score of 69 in the latest Passport Index ranking.
The shared ranking reflects the way the index groups passports with identical mobility scores.
The Mobility Score is essentially a measure of how easily passport holders can enter destinations without securing a traditional visa beforehand.
The Passport Index considers visa-free and visa-on-arrival access when calculating the score. A higher score therefore indicates broader access under the index's methodology.
However, the score should not be interpreted as a complete measure of a country's international relations or the overall strength of its passport. Different global indexes can produce different results because they do not necessarily measure travel access in exactly the same way.
India's government has previously cautioned against treating private passport rankings as an internationally accepted standard.
In a written response in the Lok Sabha on July 31, 2026, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said such ratings are produced by private institutions using parameters determined by them. The government said there is no universally accepted global system for ranking passports.
That distinction matters because India can occupy different positions depending on which passport index is being used.
For example, the Henley Passport Index uses a different methodology from the Passport Index. A January 2026 report based on the Henley ranking placed India at 80th, illustrating why the figures should not be treated as interchangeable.
For travellers, the practical issue is not the rank itself but the entry conditions for the destination they want to visit.
An Indian passport holder can enter some countries without obtaining a visa beforehand, while others offer visa-on-arrival facilities. For many popular international destinations, however, travellers still need to obtain a visa before departure.
The latest Passport Index data therefore points to a change in India's overall mobility score, but the actual travel experience will continue to depend on the destination, its visa policy and the purpose and duration of the visit.
