On July 22, 2025, Henley & Partners, a British consultancy specializing in investment migration, released the July edition of Henley Passport Index 2025 Global Ranking. As per the index, India has recorded the largest jump, by climbing 8 places to 77th from 85 in the January 2025 edition. With visa-free access to 59 destinations, India now shares its rank with countries, including Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Cote d’Ivoire.
- Singapore has topped the index as the most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 193 out of 227 global destinations, followed by Japan and South Korea, which share the second position.
About Henley Passport Index :
Background: The index, initially created by Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, comprises 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.
- The first edition was launched in 2008, originally under the name Henley & Passport Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI), which was renamed as Henley Passport Index in 2018
Ranking Method: The countries on the list are sorted by the number of destinations their passport holders can travel visa-free or without a prior visa.
- The countries are ranked based on the exclusive Travel Information Manual Automatic (Timatic) data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information.
Top 3 Ranks:
| Rank | Country | Visa-Free Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 193 |
| 2 | Japan | 190 |
| South Korea | ||
| 3 | Denmark | 189 |
| Finland | ||
| France | ||
| Germany | ||
| Ireland | ||
| Italy | ||
| Spain | ||
| 77 | India | 59 |
Bottom 3 Countries:
| Rank | Country | Visa-Free Score |
|---|---|---|
| 99 | Afghanistan | 25 |
| 98 | Syria | 27 |
| 97 | Iraq | 30 |
Global Ranking:
Top 3: Singapore (first) and Japan (second) have retained their positions as of the January 2025 edition, while South Korea has climbed one spot from third to second place, indicating the strong progress of Asian countries globally.
- Seven European Union (EU) nations, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, jointly hold the 3rd position in the index.
Other top 10: The passports of seven countries of the EU share 4th place, including Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden, with visa-free access to 188 destinations.
- Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland with 187 countries at 5th place;
- United Kingdom (UK) (185 countries) at 6th; Australia, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, and Poland (185 countries) are ranked 7th;
- Canada, Estonia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) (184) at 8th place ; Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia (183) at 9th;
- Iceland, Lithuania, and the United States of America (USA) at 10th place with access to 182 destinations.
Progress:Saudi Arabia, ranked 54th place, has made the highest progression by adding four destinations since January 2025, totaling to 91 destinations.
Decline: The UK, ranked as the most powerful passport in 2015, has dropped a place, ranking 6th globally. The USA, ranked first in 2014, is presently ranked 10th globally.
India-Specific:
Progress: India has recorded the largest improvement in ranking since January 2025, despite the addition of only two countries(Sri Lanka, Philippines).
Accessible countries: Some countries, including Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Seychelles, Kenya, Rwanda, Fiji, Barbados can be visited without a Visa.
- Iran can be visited with an electronic (e) visa, and some of the countries such as Jordan, and Bolivia can be visited by taking a Visa on Arrival(VoA).
India among Asian countries: India ranks 5th among Asian countries on the Henley Passport Index -July 2025), standing ahead of Indonesia, which ranks 64th globally with access to 76 destinations.
- India also surpasses other regional peers such as Sri Lanka (42 destinations, 95th), Bangladesh (39 destinations, 93rd), and Pakistan (32 destinations, 100th).
Asia-Specific:
Dominance of Asian countries: Singapore and Japan have consistently ranked in the top 5 in recent years. China, ranked at 62nd offers access to 85 countries. It is expanding its footprint in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America through visa waiver agreements under Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI).
Other Asian Countries: Countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal (shared 98th) (39 countries), Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are lagging due to concerns such as limited diplomatic relations, and slow visa liberalization policies.
About Henley & Partners:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Dr. Juerg Steffen
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom(UK)
Established – 1997
