India drops to 85th in global passport rankings, Singapore retains top spot

India’s passport ranking has declined by five places to 85th in the latest Henley Passport Index, which is topped by Singapore for the second consecutive year. The rankings are based on data from the Henley Passport Index released by Henley & Partners, a global citizenship advisory firm, on 8 January.

Understanding the Henley Passport Index

The Henley Passport Index is widely regarded as a benchmark for global mobility and accepted as an authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

It is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and evaluates 199 passports across 227 travel destinations. The index has been tracking passport strength for the past 19 years and serves as a reference for individuals and governments to assess travel freedom.

India’s position in 2025

According to the 2025 index, India ranks 85th, a drop from its 80th position in 2024. In comparison:

• Pakistan is ranked 103rd, falling from 101st in 2024

• Bangladesh holds the 100th spot, down from 97th in 2024

Looking at data from 2006-25, India's lowest rank was 90th in 2021, while its highest rank was 71st in 2006.

Global trends in passport rankings

• United States: The US has dropped from seventh place in 2024 to ninth in 2025. Over the last decade, it has fallen seven places — the second-largest drop after Venezuela

• China: Showing significant improvement, China has climbed from 94th place in 2015 to 60th in 2025, adding 40 new visa-free destinations in the past decade

• Japan: Ranked first from 2018-23, Japan now holds second position. In 2024, Japan and Singapore jointly held the top spot

• Vanuatu: The island nation has slipped six places from 48th to 54th in the past decade

• United Kingdom & Canada: The UK, which was first in 2015, now ranks fifth, while Canada has dropped from fourth to seventh place

Why are people seeking alternative citizenship?

The report highlights a growing trend of high net-worth individuals seeking alternative residence and citizenship. The US leads this trend, with Americans making up 21 per cent of all investment migration applications handled by Henley & Partners in 2024.

Henley & Partners CEO Juerg Steffen noted that increasing geopolitical and economic instability is prompting investors and wealthy families to explore additional citizenship options as a strategic move to protect their assets and optimise their financial and lifestyle opportunities.

While India has seen a decline in its passport ranking, global shifts in mobility trends highlight the changing landscape of travel freedom. Countries like China continue to improve, while traditional powerhouses like the US and UK are experiencing a decline. The demand for alternative citizenship and residence programmes also underscores the growing importance of mobility in an uncertain world.

The issue of passports and visas has been a thorny one in recent years, with the island nation of Cyprus, for instance, discontinuing its European Union ‘golden passport’ scheme following reports that criminals and fugitives from the law had acquired citizenship of the island, with a population of 1.2 million. In 2023, it was reported that at least 65 Indians, including Adani Group chief Gautam Adani's brother Vinod Adani, were among the 'golden passport' holders.

Since then, a ‘golden visa’ scheme has been introduced by the island for which an investment of Rs 27 crore was required to be made in 2023, either through buying houses or buying shares in companies. The golden visa scheme allows residency rights in the island and after five years of residency, one can still apply for citizenship.

In more recent times, US President Donald Trump said last month that he plans to offer a “gold card” visa with a path to US citizenship for $5 million (Rs 43.5 crore approx.), replacing a 35-year-old visa for investors.

Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said the 'Trump Gold Card' would replace EB-5 visas in two weeks (which means about now). EB-5s were created by Congress in 1990 to generate foreign investment and are available to people who spend about $1 million (Rs 8.70 crore approx.) on a company that employs at least 10 people.

With agency inputs