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Your passport (and of course, the visa) holds the key to you enjoying breezy air travel. After all, the strength of a passport is said to provide its holders more access and mobility to foreign markets and economies. As such, there is some good news for frequent flyers as according to the latest Henley Passport Index — which ranks passports based on their power and mobility — India stands at the 85th position, two places ahead of last year’s 87th spot. Last year, an Indian passport holder had visa-free access to 60 countries; this year, one has access to 59.
What is the Henley Passport Index?
Prepared by London-based Henley and Partners, a global citizenship and residence advisory firm, the Henley Passport Index claims to be the “original ranking of all the world’s passports”. The index gathers data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which manages inter-airline cooperation globally. The Henley Passport Index is updated quarterly according to countries’ visa policy changes. It covers 227 destinations and 199 passports.
How does it rank?
The Henley Passport Index compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations. If no visa is required, then a score with value = 1 is created for that passport. The same applies if you can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.
Why does it matter?
The strongest is defined by the number of countries people with a passport can visit visa-free/visa-on-arrival, according to the Henley website.
Here’s the list of the top 10 strongest passports in the world:
1. Japan (193)
2. Singapore/South Korea (192)
3. Germany/Spain (190)
4. Finland/Italy/Luxembourg (189)
5. Austria/Denmark/Netherlands/Sweden (188)
6. France/Ireland/Portugal/United Kingdom (187)
7. Belgium/Czech Republic/New Zealand/Norway/Switzerland/United States (186)
8. Australia/Canada/Greece/Malta (185)
9. Hungary/Poland (184)
10. Lithuania/Slovakia (183)
List of 10 countries that fall in the bottom 10:
100. Sri Lanka/Sudan (42)
101. Bangladesh/Kosovo/Libya (41)
102. North Korea (40 including Bangladesh, and Nepal in Asia)
103. Nepal/Palestinian Territory (38)
104. Somalia (35)
105. Yemen (34)
106. Pakistan (32)
107. Syria (30)
108. Iraq (29)
109. Afghanistan (27)
Where does India rank, it is strong enough?
According to Henley Passport Index’s analysis, India fares worse, despite having the world’s fifth-largest economy: its passport holders can access just 59 destinations worldwide and only 6.7 per cent of global GDP, of which the country’s own GDP accounts for around half.
Notably, From 2018 onward, India has not witnessed much change in the passport index (Source: Henley Passport Index)
While India has ranked a couple of places higher than last year’s when the Indian passport was ranked 87, the number of countries Indian passport holders can go easily reduced by one. Owing to increasing migration, Indian passport holders have lost visa-free access to Serbia. Starting January 1, 2023, Indian passport holders are required to apply for a visa to enter the country unlike earlier which allowed visa-free travel to the country for 90 days.
Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to 59 destinations like Bhutan, Indonesia, Macao, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Iran and Qatar. However, some countries require visa-on-arrival.
Notably, From 2018 onward, India has witnessed much change in the passport index. The ranks have always been falling between 80-87 with easy access to 55-60 countries.
Here’s India’s historical ranking (Source: Henley Passport Index)
Countries Indians can travel to without a visa:
*- Visa on arrival
** – Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
OCEANIA
Cook Islands
Fiji
Marshall Islands *
Micronesia
Niue
Palau Islands *
Samoa *
Tuvalu *
Vanuatu
MIDDLE EAST
Iran *
Jordan *
Oman
Qatar
EUROPE
Albania
CARIBBEAN
Barbados
British Virgin Islands
Dominica
Grenada
Haiti
Jamaica
Montserrat
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia *
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
ASIA
Bhutan
Cambodia *
Indonesia
Laos *
Macao (SAR China)
Maldives *
Myanmar *
Nepal
Sri Lanka *
Thailand *
Timor-Leste *
AMERICAS
Bolivia *
El Salvador
AFRICA
Botswana *
Burundi *
Cape Verde Islands *
Comoro Islands *
Ethiopia *
Gabon *
Guinea-Bissau *
Madagascar *
Mauritania *
Mauritius
Mozambique *
Rwanda *
Senegal
Seychelles *
Sierra Leone *
Somalia *
Tanzania *
Togo *
Tunisia
Uganda *
Zimbabwe *
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