Singapore leads the 2025 Henley Passport Index with its powerful passport that gives access to 193 destinations. India is nowhere near this top spot; instead, it finds itself at position 80th along with Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Tajikistan. The Henley & Partners index ranks 199 passports around the world according to how many countries one can access visa-free using information from the International Air Transport Association.
Japan and South Korea are followed by Singapore and are in the same rank that has access to 190 countries. Seven countries, namely Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, rank third with access to 189 destinations. At the bottom are Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, which only have access to 25, 27, and 30 countries, respectively.
Singapore and Japan have broken away from the group that previously shared the top spot last year, securing the top ranks. Japan, which regained visa-free access to China after the Covid lockdowns, maintains its strong standing. On the other hand, Finland and South Korea dropped one position, now allowing visa-free access to 192 destinations.
The UAE is among the notable climbers, having climbed 32 spots since 2015 to find itself in the 10th position, while gaining access to 185 destinations. Venezuela and the US dropped significantly, the US with its inwardly focused narrative, reduced mobility.
The other climber is China. It rose from 94th place in 2015 to 60th place, currently granting visa-free access to 58 countries.
The research also brought to light that African nations were facing high rejection rates for Schengen visas, with Comoros leading the list with a rejection rate of 61.3%. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, said there was a pressing need to review citizenship policies as climate change and political instability drove displacement and migration.
