Henley Passport Index 2026: The Henley Passport Index has released its global passport rankings for 2026, evaluating how many destinations passport holders can access without obtaining a prior visa.

This year's index covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations across the world. India is ranked on 80th position in this year's index, placing it way ahead of its neighbours - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. India shares this position with Algeria and Niger. This marks a modest improvement from last year, when India stood at 85th position.

Indian passport holders currently enjoy access to 55 destinations through visa-free entry, visa on arrival, or electronic travel authorisation (eTA). In comparison, last year, Indians could access about 57 destinations. Despite the slight reduction in the number of accessible destinations, India's overall ranking has improved. India's ranking in 2026 is the same as its position in 2024. Historically, India's best performance on the Henley Passport Index was in 2006, when it achieved its highest rank at 71st. The country's lowest ranking came in 2021, when it fell to 90th place.

Henley Passport Index 2026: Top 10 Countries

Singapore holds the top spot with a visa-free access to 192 destinations. Japan and South Korea share second place with access to 188 destinations. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland are tied for third at 186. In fourth place with 185 are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway. Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Arab Emirates follow in fifth with 184. Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand, and Poland hold sixth place with 183. Australia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, and the United Kingdom are seventh with 182. Canada, Iceland, and Lithuania rank eighth with 181. Malaysia is ninth with 180, and the United States rounds out the top ten with a score of 179.

'Over the past 20 years, global mobility has expanded significantly, but the benefits have been distributed unevenly', said Dr Christian H Kaelin, Chairman at Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index.

He added, 'Today, passport privilege plays a decisive role in shaping opportunity, security, and economic participation, with rising average access masking a reality in which mobility advantages are increasingly concentrated among the world's most economically powerful and politically stable nations.'

US Returns To Top 10, UK Records Fourth-Biggest Fall

The United States, under President Donald Trump's administration, has returned to the Top 10 after briefly dropping out in late 2025 for the first time. In contrast, the United Kingdom has recorded the fourth-biggest fall over the long term, sliding from 3rd place in 2006 to 7th in 2026. Notably, both the US and the UK once jointly held the top position in 2014. In 2025, both countries experienced their steepest annual declines in visa-free access, losing seven and eight destinations respectively.

UAE Biggest Climber On Passport Ranking

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as the strongest performer on the Henley Passport Index over the past 20 years. Since 2006, the UAE has added 149 visa-free destinations and climbed 57 places to reach 5th position, with access to 184 destinations.

Over the past decade, Kosovo has shown the largest rise, moving up 38 places from 97th in 2016 to 59th in 2026, after gaining access to 43 additional destinations. China has also made significant progress, climbing 28 places from 87th to 59th in the past 10 years, with its citizens now able to travel to 141 destinations without a prior visa.

Henley Passport Index 2026 - Complete List