Now Reading: Indian passport loses visa-free access to 4 countries in 2026
-
01
Indian passport loses visa-free access to 4 countries in 2026
Indian passport holders can now visit 55 destinations without a traditional visa, down from 57 in 2025, according to the Henley Passport Index 2026. Four countries, Iran, Bolivia, Cape Verde Islands and…
Indian passport holders can now visit 55 destinations without a traditional visa, down from 57 in 2025, according to the Henley Passport Index 2026. Four countries, Iran, Bolivia, Cape Verde Islands and Nicaragua, changed their entry rules this year, removing visa-free or visa-on-arrival access for Indian travellers.
Iran suspended visa-free entry for ordinary Indian passport holders, while Bolivia replaced its visa-on-arrival facility with an e-visa. Cape Verde ended visa-on-arrival access for 96 countries including India from January 1, 2026. Nicaragua now requires advance approval. India's passport ranking slipped to 81st globally, down from 80th in June 2026.
The Henley Passport Index uses IATA data to track access to 227 destinations across 199 passports. Singapore tops the list with access to 192 destinations, followed by the UAE, Japan and South Korea with 188 each.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The drop to 55 destinations puts India behind most South Asian neighbours: Sri Lanka offers 96, Bangladesh 68, and Pakistan 33. The Henley Passport Index is compiled by a London-based residence advisory firm using IATA data, and a lower rank means Indian travellers face more bureaucratic hurdles for leisure, business or medical travel. The next update from Henley is due in January 2027, which will show whether any new bilateral agreements or reciprocal visa waivers have been signed to reverse the trend.
Source: gulfnews.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
