India’s passport ranked 82nd on the list, with citizens allowed to travel to 58 countries without a visa, including popular destinations like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
The latest ranking released by the Henley Passport Index puts India’s passport at the 82nd spot, allowing Indians visa-free entry to 58 countries. The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the most extensive and precise database of travel information worldwide. India’s current rank ties it with nations like Senegal and Tajikistan.
Singapore passport has been named the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 195 countries, as per the list. France, Italy, Germany and Spain tied with Japan in second place, providing passport holders access to 192 countries. Then, in third place in the ranking, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden all have visa-free access to 191 destinations.
The United Kingdom is the fourth place, alongside New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland. Australia and Portugal shared the No. 5 spot, while the United States dropped down to eighth place, with visa-free access to 186 countries.
India’s passport ranked 82nd on the list, with citizens allowed to travel to 58 countries without a visa, including popular destinations like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Neighbouring Pakistan is positioned at 100th, providing passport holders access to 33 countries. At the bottom of the list is Afghanistan with easy access to 26 destinations.
The most powerful passports for 2024:
- Singapore (195 destinations)
- France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain (192)
- Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden (191)
- Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom (190)
- Australia, Portugal (189)
- Greece, Poland (188)
- Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta (187)
- United States (186)
- Estonia, Lithuania, United Arab Emirates (185)
- Iceland, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (184)
Christian Kaelin, chair of Henley and Partners, highlighted the widening global mobility gap between countries. “The global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been,” he said in a statement.
Notably, for the past 19 years, the Henley Passport Index has been tracking global freedoms in 227 countries and territories around the world, using exclusive data from the IATA. It has become the most popular interactive online tool to display, sort, and rank the world’s passports. It is updated in real-time throughout the year, as and when visa policy changes come into effect.
Article source: ndtv.com
