Our Bureau
New Delhi
The Indian passport remains the 80th strongest in the world, the same as last year, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index. However, the Indian passport now gives its holders visa-free access to 62 countries as against 57 in the 2023 Henley Passport Index. Two years ago, India was at the 87th spot.
However, India has a lot of catching up to do as the average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free in the latest Index is 111. In 2023, the average number of destinations travelers were able to access visa-free was 109.
The Henley Passport Index ranks all of world’s 199 passports to 227 travel destinations. Where a visa is required, a score of zero is given, and a score of one is given if the destination is a visa on arrival. The Henley Passport Index, acknowledged as the foremost interactive online tool for sorting, displaying, and ranking passports worldwide, derives its rankings from data supplied by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Its index serves as a barometer for the global mobility landscape, and reflects the diplomatic reach and accessibility of passports across nations.
Besides European countries, whose passports are much more powerful, several third-world countries too have passports that allow visa-free entry to more countries than India. They include Malaysia (12th spot with visa-free access to 182 countries) and South Africa (53rd place with visa-free access to 108 countries). Sanctions-hit Russia is in the 51st spot with visa-free access to 119 countries.
In this year’s list, six nations with the most powerful passports are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain. Citizens of these nations enjoy the privilege of traveling to 194 countries without the requirement of a visa.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan finds itself at the bottom, offering visa-free access to a mere 28 countries.
