Henley Passport Index 2026: India's Ranking, Global Passport Mobility, Diplomatic Significance and Way Forward
19 October 2026
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Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari
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Henley Passport Index 2026: India's Ranking, Global Passport Mobility, Diplomatic Significance and Way Forward
1. Background and Recent Development
- In the October 2026 Henley Passport Index, India ranked 84th, improving from 85th in October 2025.
- India shares its position with Algeria and Mauritania. However, destinations accessible without a prior visa declined from 57 to 55, despite the improvement in ranking.
2. Historical Background and Methodology
- Introduced in 2006, the index is published by Henley & Partners, using International Air Transport Association (IATA) data.
- It evaluates 199 passports across 227 destinations, measuring access without a prior visa.
- Visa-free entry, visa-on-arrival and eligible electronic travel authorisations count towards the mobility score.
3. Global Rankings in 2026
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India ranks 84th in the Henley Passport Index 2026, but visa-free access fell to 55 destinations. Understand the diplomatic significance and way forward.
Keywords
Henley Passport Indexpassport rankingvisa-free accessHenley & Partnerspassport diplomacyglobal mobilityreciprocal visa agreementsIATA dataIndia foreign policyvisa-on-arrival