India Slipped to 81st on the Henley Passport Index in Its Latest Update, Here's What That Means for Travellers

Henley & Partners released its latest Henley Passport Index update on 21 July 2026, marking the ranking's 20th anniversary edition, and placed the Indian passport at 81st place globally, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 55 destinations. According to reporting on the release, India's position has moved several times within the year: it started 2026 at 85th, rose to 75th in the index's February update, slipped to 78th in May, and settled at 81st in the July release, a pattern the index's own methodology attributes to reciprocal changes in other countries' visa policies rather than any single Indian decision.

What moved the number

Reporting on the July release links part of the drop in accessible destinations to Cape Verde's withdrawal of visa-on-arrival access for Indian citizens, one of a wider batch of countries whose facilities for Indian passport holders changed over the course of the year. The index counts visa-free, visa-on-arrival and e-visa access together, so a country either tightening its rules or another country's passport gaining ground can shift India's relative rank even without any change to India's own policies.

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What this does and doesn't change

The index itself doesn't alter any specific country's entry rules; it's a scorecard tracking policies that are set independently by each destination, several of which this year have moved in the direction of requiring e-visas or ETAs from Indian travellers rather than visa-free or on-arrival entry, a trend covered destination by destination through 2026. Travellers planning a trip should treat any single country's current visa requirement, not the index ranking itself, as the thing to verify before booking.

What's still unclear

The Henley Passport Index is updated periodically through the year rather than on a fixed quarterly schedule, so a further revision before the end of 2026 is possible, and this article reflects the 21 July 2026 release as the most recent at the time of writing.

Traveller tips

• A passport ranking is a general indicator, not a substitute for checking the specific entry rules of your destination country before you book.
• Several countries have moved from visa-on-arrival to mandatory pre-departure e-visas for Indian citizens this year; build in processing time rather than assuming on-arrival entry still applies.
• Confirm current visa, ETA or e-visa requirements directly with the destination country's official immigration website or embassy shortly before travel, since individual country policies can change independently of this index.
• This article reflects the Henley Passport Index update released on 21 July 2026; check for a more recent release if travelling later in the year.