India loses visa-free access to these 2 nations, despite climbing 10 spots on Henley Passport Index

India has climbed 10 spots in the 2026 Henley & Partners passport rankings, but there’s a twist. While the country now stands at 75th position globally, Indian travellers can access slightly fewer destinations without prior visa approval than they could last year.

According to the latest Henley Passport Index, Indian passport holders currently enjoy visa-free or simplified entry to 56 destinations, down from 57 in 2025. The shift follows visa policy changes by Iran and Bolivia, which removed both countries from India’s visa-free access list.

What changed this year

In January 2026, India ranked 80th with access to 55 destinations. By February, the rank improved to 75th, and access rose to 56 destinations after The Gambia was added. Even with that addition, the total still remains lower than last year’s 57 destinations.

The index evaluates 199 passports across 227 destinations using data from the International Air Transport Association. It counts destinations allowing visa-free travel, visa on arrival or basic electronic authorisations. Countries requiring advance visa approval do not qualify.

Why Indians lost visa-free access

Iran suspended visa-free entry for ordinary Indian passport holders in November 2025 following reported cases of fraud and trafficking.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs,
“Individuals were tricked into journeying to Iran by taking advantage of the visa waiver facility available for ordinary Indian passport holders. On arrival in Iran, many of them were kidnapped for ransom.”

From late November 2025, Indians travelling to Iran must obtain a visa before departure, removing it from the visa-free category.

Bolivia also revised its rules. Previously offering visa-on-arrival, it moved Indians to a prior-approval e-visa system in 2026. Because advance authorisation is required, the destination no longer counts as visa-free under the index.

How India still moved up

The rankings compare passports relative to one another rather than measuring change in isolation. Each passport earns one point per visa-free destination, and countries are then ranked accordingly.

Even though India lost one visa-free destination compared to 2025, changes affecting other countries reshuffled positions, lifting India’s rank from 85th to 75th.

In short, Indians gained ranking ground globally, even as real-world travel freedom edged down slightly.