India's Passport Ranks 82nd, Offers Visa-Free Travel to 58 Countries

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. India's current rank ties it with nations like Senegal and Tajikistan.

The Henley Passport Index is a worldwide list that ranks countries based on their citizens' travel freedom. The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of countries that their holders can visit without the need for a visa before arrival.

The ranking is determined by data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), which maintains the most extensive and precise database of travel information worldwide.

Singapore passport has been named the world's most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 195 countries. 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.

Interestingly, Maldives whose relations with India were under strain since November last year is ranked 58th with its citizens having visa-free access to 96 countries. China is ranked at 59th position, as the country granted visa-free access 85 countries. At the bottom of the list is Afghanistan which gives its citizens visa-free access to just 26 countries.

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:

1. Singapore (195 destinations)
2. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain (192)
3. Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden (191)
4. Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom (190)
5. Australia, Portugal (189)
6. Greece, Poland (188)
7. Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta (187)
8. United States (186)
9. Estonia, Lithuania, United Arab Emirates (185)
10. 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.