1. The Henley Passport Index 2024 ranks India 82nd.
2. Indian passport holders can travel to 58 countries visa-free.
3. This is a decline from last year’s 80th position.
New Delhi, July 24: The Henley Passport Index has released its 2024 ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, with India now ranked 82nd. This position allows Indian passport holders to travel to 58 countries without a visa. Compared to last year’s 80th rank, this marks a decline of two positions.
The Henley Passport Index, which compiles data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), serves as a key resource for assessing global travel privileges. India’s passport performance has varied over the years. In 2014, India was ranked 76th with access to 52 countries. By 2015, it had dropped to 88th with visa-free access to 51 nations.
Here are India’s annual rankings in recent years:
- 2015: 88th
- 2016: 85th
- 2017: 87th
- 2018: 81st
- 2019: 82nd
- 2020: 82nd
- 2021: 81st
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In contrast, Singapore has regained its title as the world’s most powerful passport in the 2024 index, granting its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 195 countries. France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Japan follow in second place with access to 192 countries.
Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden are in the third spot, providing entry to 191 destinations.
The United Kingdom, New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland share the fourth spot, demonstrating significant travel opportunities. Australia and Portugal share fifth place, while the United States has slipped to eighth, allowing visa-free access to 186 countries.
The Henley Passport Index underscores the varying degrees of global mobility offered by different national passports, reflecting international diplomatic relations and travel agreements.
Pakistan’s passport is ranked 100th, offering access to 33 countries, while Afghanistan ranks last with visa-free entry to just 26 destinations.
For nearly two decades, the Henley Passport Index has tracked travel freedoms across 227 countries and territories, using real-time updates and exclusive data from the IATA to reflect the latest changes in visa policies globally.
