The world’s most powerful passports in 2024: Here is where India stands

The Henley Passport Index, which ranks the world’s most travel-friendly passports, has released its list for 2024, with European nations of France, Germany, Italy and Spain, and Asia’s Japan and Singapore sharing the number one spot.

Ranking low on the index are Pakistan (101), Iraq (102), Syria (103) and Afghanistan (104).

Other neighbours of India were ranked as follows: Maldives (#58), China (#62), Bhutan (#87), Myanmar (#92), Sri Lanka (#96), Bangladesh (#97), and Nepal (#98).

India, meanwhile, held on to its previous year’s ranking of 80. Those holding an Indian passport have visa-free access to 62 destinations.

The Henley Passport Index for 2024, curated by Henley & Partners, was released this week and ranks different passports according to the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa or can avail of a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) on entering the destination. The rankings are based on the analysis of data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It then provides a ‘Visa-free score’ which, essentially, is the number of destinations that the holders of that particular passport can travel to without a prior visa or can avail of a visa on arrival or other similar permits.

For instance, those holding the passports of the countries in the #1 spot had access to 194 visa-free destinations while those holding the Afghanistan passport ranked last at #104, had visa-free access to only 28 of them.

As per the latest rankings, Finland, Sweden and South Korea shared the second rank, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Netherlands occupied the third spot.

The United States was ranked at number 7 along with Canada and Hungary. The United Kingdom passport fared better at spot number 4, which it shared with Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway and Portugal. In the Middle East, the UAE ranked the highest at #11.

Israel ranked at #21 while Russia took the 51st spot.

World’s 10 most powerful passports:

1. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (Score: 194)
2. Finland, South Korea, Sweden (Score: 193)
3. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (Score: 192)
4. Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom (Score: 191)
5. Greece, Malta, Switzerland (Score: 190)
6. Australia, Czechia, New Zealand, Poland (Score: 189)
7. Canada, Hungary, United States (Score: 188)
8. Estonia, Lithuania (Score: 187)
9. Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (Score: 186)
10. Iceland (Score: 1)185

World’s 10 least powerful passports:

1. Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sudan (Score: 45)
2. Eritrea, Sri Lanka (Score: 43)
3. Bangladesh, North Korea (Score: 42)
4. Libya, Nepal, Palestinian Territory (Score: 40)
5. Somalia (Score: 36)
6. Yemen (Score: 35)
7. Pakistan ( (Score: 34)
8. Iraq (Score: 31)
9. Syria (Score: 29)
10. Afghanistan (Score: 28)

The Henley Passport Index is an annual list put together by Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm. It claims to be the “original ranking of all the world’s passports”. The index covers 227 destinations and 199 passports.

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