Parliament Question: Global Passport Index

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2155 ANSWERED ON-31/07/2026 GLOBAL PASSPORT INDEX †2155. SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO SHRI MANISH TEWARI Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government has taken note of reports indicating a decline in India's position in global passport mobility rankings and the relatively limited number of visa-free destinations available to Indian passport holders; (b) the number and details of countries with which India has concluded visa-free, visa-on-arrival or other travel facilitation agreements during the last five years; (c) whether the Government has assessed the factors affecting the global mobility of Indian passport holders, including visa overstay concerns, passport security, immigration procedures and bilateral diplomatic engagement and if so, the findings thereof; (d) the steps being taken by the Government to expand visa-free travel opportunities for Indian citizens, strengthen passport security and international acceptance and negotiate additional mobility and travel facilitation agreements with foreign countries; and (e) whether the Government aims to significantly improve the global ranking and travel facilities of the Indian passport over the next five years and if so, the strategy, targets and timeline set for this purpose? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) to (e) Government is aware of some such ratings which are published by certain private institutions based on parameters unilaterally decided by them. In the absence of universally acceptable criteria to rank passports, there is no ranking system for passports at global level that can be taken as a standard. The Government of India is engaged in 1continuous 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. Towards this, as on date, 27 countries provide visa- free entry, 47 countries provide visa-on-arrival facility and 66 countries provide e-Visa facility to Indian passport holders. Details are accessible on the Ministry of External Affairs’ website: https://www.mea.gov.in/VFFIN.htm . Issuance of visas is a sovereign matter of a country and visa free entry/visa-on-arrival facility depend on various factors including bilateral relations as well as principle of reciprocity. Keeping that in mind 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. This is done through bilateral mechanisms, such as Consular Dialogues as well as Official and High-Level visits. Government of India has made sustained efforts to align the Indian passport with the latest international guidelines. The updated security features on electronic travel documents comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines. ***** 2