New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Indian passports jumped five places in global mobility rankings in 2026, offering visa‑free, visa‑on‑arrival or eTA access to 55 destinations, a report said on Wednesday.

The Henley Passport Index placed India at 80th spot sharing this rank with Algeria and Niger. Singapore, which topped the list, has visa-free access to 192 countries. Japan (188 destinations) and South Korea followed closely, highlighting the connection of travel freedom with the economic strength of the country.

Indian travellers enjoy visa free access across parts of Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and island nations. However, advance visas are still required for most of Europe, the UK, the US, Canada and large parts of East Asia.

European passports dominated the top 10 spots, each offering access to more than 180 countries.

Afghanistan remained the weakest passport with access to just 24 destinations. The United States returned to the top 10 in the index after a brief dip in recent years, even as both the US and UK recorded steep year‑on‑year losses in visa‑free access.

“Over the past 20 years, global mobility has expanded significantly, but the benefits have been distributed unevenly”, said Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman at Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index.

“Today, passport privilege plays a decisive role in shaping opportunity, security, and economic participation, with rising average access masking a reality in which mobility advantages are increasingly concentrated among the world’s most economically powerful and politically stable nations,” he added.

Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland were in third spot of the index with access to 186 destinations, ahead of an unprecedented group of ten European countries sharing the fourth position.

The UAE emerged as the strongest performer on the Henley Passport Index over the past 20 years, adding 149 visa-free destinations since 2006. It climbed 57 places to fifth spot with visa-free access to 184 destinations, driven by sustained diplomatic engagement and visa liberalisation.

China ranked 59th with visa-free access to 81 destinations.

–IANS

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