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Passport comparison · 2026 data

French passport vs Indian passport: which is stronger?

French passport ahead

The French passport is stronger: it reaches 163 destinations without an embassy visit, 106 more than the Indian passport (57).

Side by side

MeasureFrench passportIndian passport
World rank4 of 197144 of 197
Without an embassy visit16357
Visa-free12526
Visa on arrival3028
eTA83
e-Visa1846
Visa required1593

Counts are out of the other 196 sovereign countries. “Without an embassy visit” is visa-free, visa on arrival and eTA together.

Places the French passport can enter without an embassy visit and the Indian passport cannot 108

See all 108 in the compare tool

Places the Indian passport can enter without an embassy visit and the French passport cannot 2

What both can enter

55 countries are open to both passports without an embassy visit. The two home countries are not counted in these lists.

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Questions

Which is stronger, the French passport or the Indian passport?

The French passport is stronger: it reaches 163 destinations without an embassy visit, 106 more than the Indian passport (57). The French passport ranks 4 of 197 and the Indian passport ranks 144.

How many countries can the French passport and the Indian passport enter without an embassy visit?

The French passport: 163 (125 visa-free, 30 on arrival, 8 eTA). The Indian passport: 57 (26 visa-free, 28 on arrival, 3 eTA). Both count the 196 other sovereign countries.

Where can one passport go that the other cannot?

The French passport can enter 108 countries without an embassy visit that the Indian passport cannot, among them Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, United Kingdom and Croatia. The Indian passport can enter 2 countries without an embassy visit that the French passport cannot, among them Myanmar and Bhutan. Both passports can enter 55 of the same countries without an embassy visit. The two home countries are left out of these counts.

How is passport strength measured here?

We count the other 196 sovereign countries a passport can enter with visa-free entry, a visa on arrival or an eTA. An e-Visa counts as a visa. The data is the open Passport Index dataset, last updated 18 February 2026. Other indexes count differently, so their rankings can differ, and rules change often, so check the official source before you book.

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Entry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so treat this as a guide and check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book.