Skip to content

India · Passport ranking

Indian passport ranking 2026

By the Visa Almanac editorial teamChange logUpdated 6 Nov 2026

In brief

The Indian passport ranks joint 123rd of 199 on our count. Indian citizens can enter 99 of 198 destinations without a visa from an embassy: 21 visa-free, 19 with a visa on arrival and 59 with an eVisa or ETA. 89 need a visa arranged at an embassy or consulate, and 10 are not verified yet.

Place
123of 199
Visa-free
21
On arrival
19
eVisa or ETA
59
Visa required
89
Not verified
10

Checked 31 Oct – 6 Nov 2026188 rules from 160 official sourcesAll 199 passportsReport a change

Independent reference, not a government website. We don't issue visas or sell visa services.

ContentsIn brief
  1. In brief
  2. Where India stands
  3. What the 99 are
  4. How it changed
  5. Why lists differ
  6. FAQ
  7. How we count
  8. Sources
  9. About this page

Where India stands

Just above India is Morocco, with 101; just below, Vietnam with 97. Botswana, Namibia, Armenia and Azerbaijan share India's score.

PlacePassportWithout an embassy visaVisa-freeOn arrivaleVisa or ETANot verified
122Morocco10134194811
123=India9921195910
123=Botswana994513419
123=Namibia994313439
123=Armenia9931224610
123=Azerbaijan9929264411
128Vietnam972318569

Next to the passports most often compared with India's

PlacePassportWithout an embassy visaVisa-freeOn arrivaleVisa or ETANot verified
9=Canada17910927438
26=United Kingdom177112234210
39=United States173106264111
43=United Arab Emirates170110213911
106=China1123925489
118=Philippines10437175010
123=India9921195910
194=Pakistan727135210

What the 99 are

  • 21 visa-free, including Thailand (30 days), Malaysia, the Philippines (14 days), Mauritius, Kazakhstan (14 days), Qatar and Bhutan.
  • 19 with a visa on arrival, including Indonesia, the Maldives, Jordan, Tanzania and Ethiopia. A visa on arrival is still a visa: we never add it to the visa-free count.
  • 59 with an eVisa or ETA: 54 eVisas (Vietnam, Japan, Georgia, Russia, Oman and others) and 5 ETAs (Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Kenya, Seychelles and Saint Kitts and Nevis).

The full lists, with stays, conditions and the official source for each country, are on visa-free countries for Indians, visa on arrival and e-Visa countries.

How the ranking has changed

We have no history yet. We made our first count with the rules edition of 31 Oct 2026 and log every change from then on, so this section will show dated moves. Since then we have corrected 11 rules for Indian passports (Tajikistan, Bahamas, Jordan, Sources and wording fixed for the Maldives, Serbia, Barbados, Jamaica and Taiwan; the rules are unchanged, Morocco, Bangladesh, South Africa, Qatar, Japan and 2 more, 1 Nov 2026, 2 Nov 2026 and 5 Nov 2026); the counts above include them. See the change log.

Earlier rule changes, as the official sources date them:

  • Thailand: the 30-day visa exemption for Indian passport holders took effect on 15 September 2026, under Thailand's 2026 revision of its visa exemption schemes. Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi · checked
  • South Africa: South Africa officially launched the ETA on 12 August 2026 after piloting it for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico, and plans to make it compulsory step by step for short visits by nationals who need port-of-entry visas. Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked
  • Sri Lanka: the free tourist ETA for Indian citizens started on 25 May 2026; ETA fees paid before that date are not refunded. Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka · checked
  • Iran: Iran suspended visa-free entry for ordinary Indian passport holders from 22 November 2025; Indians now need a visa to enter or transit through Iran. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India · checked

Why other lists give India a different place

Lists that say 57, 58 or 59 visa-free countries may also count visas on arrival and online travel authorisations as visa-free, include territories that are not countries, or keep rules that have since changed. We count each type separately, from the destination's own rule.

How you count moves India a long way:

CountingIndia's countIndia's place
Visa-free entry only21161st
Visa-free, on arrival and ETAs (as some indexes do)45148th
Our score: also eVisas, no embassy visit99123rd

FAQ

What is the rank of the Indian passport in 2026?

Joint 123rd of 199 on our count, checked between 31 Oct 2026 and 6 Nov 2026: 99 destinations without an embassy visa (21 visa-free, 19 on arrival, 59 eVisa or ETA).

Which 58 countries are visa-free for India?

We count 21 visa-free countries, each confirmed by its government, and 19 that give a visa on arrival. Lists that say 58 may also count visas on arrival and online travel authorisations as visa-free, include territories that are not countries, or keep rules that have since changed. The list is on visa-free countries for Indians.

Is the Indian passport getting stronger?

We can't say yet: our count starts on 31 Oct 2026. From now on every change is dated in the change log and shown on this page.

How does the Indian passport compare with Pakistan's and the UAE's?

The UAE passport is joint 43rd with 170 destinations without an embassy visa; the Pakistani passport is joint 194th with 72. India is joint 123rd with 99.

Can Indians travel visa-free with a US visa?

To 27 destinations a valid US visa opens easier entry for Indian passport holders, for example the UAE, the Philippines, Türkiye and Georgia; see countries you can visit with a US visa.

How we count

The score counts the destinations a passport enters without a visa from an embassy: visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an eVisa or ETA, each from the destination's own official rule. Not verified destinations are shown and never counted; equal scores share a place. The full method and every passport: passport ranking.

Sources

The 188 rules behind these counts, quoted from 160 official pages and dated, are listed with their conditions on visa-free countries for Indians.

All 160 official pages, by destination

About this page

By the Visa Almanac editorial team. The place and the counts are recounted from the entry rules we publish for every destination, each quoted from the destination's own government and dated; nothing on this page is typed in by hand. Editorial policy · Change log

Updated
6 Nov 2026
Last checked
Official sources
160
Was this page helpful?Report a change

Visa Almanac is an independent reference, not a government website. We don't issue visas or sell visa services.

Rules change without notice. Always confirm with the official source linked on each page before you travel.