Planning an international holiday mostly starts with paperwork. You spend weeks gathering documents and filling out visa forms, then wait for approval
with no clear idea of when it will come. For citizens of a few countries, much of this hassle does not exist because their passports are strong enough to skip it. The latest 2026 Passport Index by Arton Capital ranks the world's most powerful passports by how many places their holders can visit without a regular visa. Here is how the list looks and what it means for Indian travellers. UAE leads, US Slips To 10th The UAE has taken the top spot with a Mobility Score of 182. Emirati passport holders can enter 138 destinations visa-free. They can enter another 44 through simpler arrangements such as visas on arrival or quick electronic approvals. Singapore and Malaysia share second place with 175 each, and Spain is third with 174. A large group of countries comes next with a score of 173 each. This group includes Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Japan. Also Read: Mont Blanc Stands Almost Two Metres Taller Than Three Years Ago The United States ranks 10th with a score of 167. Americans can visit 121 destinations visa-free and 46 with a visa on arrival, but they need a visa for 31 others. This may surprise some people, but the index measures travel access only, not economic or political power. A passport's rank depends on the entry rules other countries set for its citizens. Where Does India Stand? India is placed 72nd with a mobility score of 70. Indian passport holders can travel to 30 destinations without a visa and get a visa on arrival in 40 more. For the other 128 destinations covered by the index, they need a visa before travelling. Simply put, Indians can reach about a third of the countries on the list with little paperwork. The rest require a full visa process. The gap with the top is wide: A UAE passport opens up more than two and a half times as many destinations as an Indian one. For travellers, this means planning ahead. Depending on the country, you will need to fill an application, submit bank statements and other documents, show enough funds and wait for processing before booking flights and hotels. Basically, applying early is the safest way to avoid last-minute stress. Visa-free and visa-on-arrival trips also come with conditions. Countries may limit how long you can stay. They may also ask for a hotel booking, a return ticket or other papers at immigration. Always check the latest rules on the official embassy or government website before you fly. India’s position looks different on another popular list. The Henley Passport Index places India at 82nd, with access to 55 destinations without a prior visa. The two indexes give different results because they measure travel access in different ways. Arton Capital counts visa-free entry, visas on arrival, electronic travel authorisations and e-visas issued within three days. It updates its list in real time as rules change. Henley counts only destinations that don’t need a visa before departure. It uses data from the International Air Transport Association and updates its list from time to time. On Henley’s list, Singapore is first, and Japan, South Korea and the UAE share second place.
