Indian passport now grants visa-free access to 57 nations: Check full list here for your next New Year's getaway

Indian travellers have fewer visa-free destinations to choose from in 2025. 

According to the latest Henley Passport Index, India now ranks 85th globally, down five places from 2024, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 57 destinations. Last year, Indian passport holders could enter 62 countries without a pre-approved visa. India’s best position came in 2006, when it was ranked 71st.

What is the Henley Passport Index

The Henley Passport Index, compiled by Henley & Partners using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), ranks 199 passports based on how many destinations their holders can access without a visa. The 2025 edition reflects ongoing diplomatic and policy shifts, offering a snapshot of global mobility and international reach.

Where Indians can travel without a visa

Despite the dip in rankings, Indian citizens can still travel freely or obtain visas on arrival across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

Visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries for Indian passport holders in 2025 include:

1. Angola
2. Barbados
3. Bhutan
4. Bolivia (Visa on Arrival)
5. British Virgin Islands
6. Burundi (Visa on Arrival)
7. Cambodia (Visa on Arrival)
8. Cape Verde Islands (Visa on Arrival)
9. Comoro Islands (Visa on Arrival)
10. Cook Islands
11. Djibouti (Visa on Arrival)
12. Dominica
13. Ethiopia (Visa on Arrival)
14. Fiji
15. Grenada
16. Guinea-Bissau (Visa on Arrival)
17. Haiti
18. Indonesia (Visa on Arrival)
19. Iran
20. Jamaica
21. Jordan (Visa on Arrival)
22. Kazakhstan
23. Kenya (Electronic Travel Authorization)
24. Kiribati
25. Laos (Visa on Arrival)
26. Macao (SAR China)
27. Madagascar (Visa on Arrival)
28. Malaysia
29. Maldives
30. Marshall Islands (Visa on Arrival)
31. Mauritius
32. Micronesia
33. Mongolia (Visa on Arrival)
34. Montserrat
35. Mozambique (Visa on Arrival)
36. Myanmar (Visa on Arrival)
37. Nepal
38. Niue (Visa on Arrival)
39. Palau Islands (Visa on Arrival)
40. Philippines
41. Qatar (Visa on Arrival)
42. Rwanda
43. Samoa (Visa on Arrival)
44. Senegal
45. Seychelles
46. Sierra Leone (Visa on Arrival)
47. Sri Lanka (Visa on Arrival)
48. St. Kitts and Nevis
49. St. Lucia (Visa on Arrival)
50. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
51. Tanzania (Visa on Arrival)
52. Thailand
53. Timor-Leste (Visa on Arrival)
54. Trinidad and Tobago
55. Tuvalu (Visa on Arrival)
56. Vanuatu
57. Zimbabwe (Visa on Arrival)

Why India slipped

India’s decline reflects its continued struggle to secure reciprocal visa arrangements, even as its global influence grows in trade and diplomacy. While India has improved bilateral ties with regions like the Gulf and Southeast Asia, travel to Europe, North America, and East Asia remains heavily restricted, with long visa processing times and complex documentation requirements.

Global snapshot: Singapore stays at the top

The 2025 index is once again led by Singapore, whose citizens can visit 193 destinations visa-free, followed by South Korea (190) and Japan (189). At the bottom, Afghanistan ranks last with visa-free access to just 24 destinations, followed by Syria (26) and Iraq (29).

India’s lower mobility score underscores the gap between its growing diplomatic clout and the limited travel freedom its citizens enjoy — a contrast that may become a key talking point in future global negotiations on reciprocal visa access.