New Delhi: The government has rejected global ratings of India’s position in global passport mobility rankings. It said that as many as 27 countries across
the world offered visa-free entry to Indian passport holders. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, the government said that issuing a visa is a sovereign matter for any country.
Further responding to a query, the government said that issuance of a visa depends on numerous ties, including bilateral ties with other countries as well as reciprocity. In the latest ranking published by Global Citizen Solutions (GCS) on June 30, India ranked 125th. Notably, in another ranking published by Henley Passport Index, India has been positioned at 80th, falling from 85th in 2025.
Such rankings are published by private institutions: Govt
In response to the rankings, the government said that private institutions publish them. The rankings are based on parameters decided by these firms. “In the absence of universally acceptable criteria to rank passports, there is no ranking system for passports at the global level that can be taken as a standard,” the written reply by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said.
He added, “The Government of India is engaged in continuous efforts with other countries to enhance ease of travel of Indian citizens around the world through visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival and e-Visa facilities.”
‘Govt engages in regular dialogue with foreign countries on visa policies’
“Keeping that in mind, the Government of India engages in regular dialogue with foreign countries on visa policies intended to improve ease of travel for Indian citizens, including visa-free travel opportunities, mobility and travel facilitation, visa overstay concerns, passport security and immigration procedures,” the minister noted further.
Pointing out that the government made efforts to align the Indian passport with the latest global guidelines, he added, “The updated security features on electronic travel documents comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines.”
