Henley Passport Index 2025: The 2025 Henley Passport Index, compiled by Henley & Partners, ranks 199 passports based on their visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to global destinations. The rankings are based on International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, highlighting global mobility trends. Singapore holds the top spot, while India ranks 80th, sharing the position with Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Tajikistan. The report also highlights countries gaining or losing mobility privileges over the years. Useful for (SSC GD, Police, Banking, Railways, UPSC) and Other Competitive Exams.
Key Highlights of the Henley Passport Index 2025
Top-Ranking Passports
-
1st Place: Singapore
Visa-free access to 193 out of 227 destinations. -
2nd Place: Japan & South Korea
Visa-free access to 190 countries.
Japan regained visa-free access to China, lost during Covid-19. -
3rd Place: European Nations
Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland
Access to 189 destinations.
India’s Position (Rank 80)
- Shared with Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Tajikistan.
- Indian passport holders can travel to 62 countries visa-free or with visa-on-arrival.
Bottom Ranking Passports
- 99th (Last): Afghanistan – Access to 25 destinations.
- 98th: Syria – Access to 27 destinations.
- 97th: Iraq – Access to 30 destinations.
Countries Showing Growth & Decline
Significant Gainers
-
UAE (Rank 8, 185 destinations)
Gained access to 72 more destinations in the past decade.
Only Arab nation in the top 10. -
China (Rank 59, 58 destinations)
Improved from 94th in 2015 to 59th in 2025.
Secured 29 new visa-free access destinations in the past year.
Significant Decliners
- Venezuela – Suffered the biggest drop in rankings over the past decade.
- USA – Experienced an unexpected decline in its ranking.
- Afghanistan – Widening mobility gap, losing access to two more destinations.
Top 10 Rankers in Index
- Singapore
- Japan, South Korea
- Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland
- Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden
- Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland
- Australia, United Kingdom
- Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, Poland
- Estonia, UAE
- Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United States
- Iceland, Lithuania
Note: Many Countries are tied with the same number of scores in the index and they have the same number of positions in the index.
India and Its Neighbor Country Rankings
- China – 59th
- India – 80th
- Bhutan – 83rd
- Sri Lanka – 91st
- Bangladesh – 93rd
- Nepal – 94th
- Pakistan – 96th
- Afghanistan – 99th
Summary/Static Details
-
Why in the news?
Henley Passport Index 2025: Singapore Ranks No. 1, India at 80th -
India’s 2025 Rank
80th (Feb 2025) -
India’s 2024 Rank
80th -
Top Country
Singapore (1st) -
Data Source
Henley Passport Index (IATA data) -
Purpose of Index
Assess global mobility and passport power
Top 10 Countries
- Singapore
- Japan, South Korea
- Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland
- Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden
- Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland
- Australia, United Kingdom
- Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, Poland
- Estonia, UAE
- Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United States
- Iceland, Lithuania
Note: Many Countries are tied with the same number of scores in the index and they have the same number of positions in the index.
India and Neighbor Country Rankings
- China – 59th
- India – 80th
- Bhutan – 83rd
- Sri Lanka – 91st
- Bangladesh – 93rd
- Nepal – 94th
- Pakistan – 96th
- Afghanistan – 99th
Henley Passport Index 2025 Important Question and Answer
1Q. What is the Henley Passport Index?
Ans – The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. It is compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is updated quarterly.
2Q. Which country holds the top position in the 2025 Henley Passport Index?
Ans – In 2025, Singapore ranks first, offering its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 195 out of 227 destinations worldwide.
3Q. What is India’s rank in the 2025 Henley Passport Index?
Ans – India is ranked 80th in the 2025 index, a decline from its 80th position in 2024. Indian passport holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 56 countries.
4Q. Which countries are ranked at the bottom of the 2025 Henley Passport Index?
Ans – Afghanistan holds the lowest position, with its citizens having visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 25 destinations. Other countries at the bottom include Syria (27 destinations) and Iraq (30 destinations).
5Q. How does the Henley Passport Index determine its rankings?
Ans – The index ranks 199 passports by evaluating the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a visa in advance. Data is sourced from the IATA and supplemented by Henley & Partners’ research.