Which are the 6 countries with the most powerful passports? Where does India stand?

The list of the world’s most powerful passports in 2024 has been released. Every year, the Henley Passport Index rates travel documents from various nations based on the number of places they allow entry to, either without a visa or with one upon arrival. But in a significant change in the quarterly ranking, the top slot for the most sought-after travel documents of the year is being shared by an unprecedented six countries. Let’s take a closer look. Which are the six countries tied for the top spot? France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, and Spain have joined Japan, which held the top rank for five years in a row. These six nations’ citizens are granted visa-free or visa-upon-arrival access to an impressive 194 out of 227 nations worldwide. This feat represents the highest number noted since the Henley Passport Index’s launch 19 years ago, according to Livemint.

World's Most Powerful Passport for 2024
(visa-free destinations)

1.🇫🇷FRA,🇩🇪GER,🇮🇹ITA,🇯🇵JPN,🇸🇬SIN,🇪🇸ESP: 194
2.🇫🇮FIN,🇰🇷KOR,🇸🇪SWE: 193
3.🇦🇹AUT,🇩🇰DEK,🇮🇪IRE,🇳🇱NED: 192
4.🇧🇪BEL,🇱🇺LUX,🇳🇴NOR, 🇵🇹PRT, 🇬🇧GBR: 191
5.🇬🇷GRC, 🇲🇹MLT, 🇨🇭SUI: 190
6.🇦🇺AUS,🇨🇿 CZE, 🇳🇿NZL, 🇵🇱POL: 189
7.🇨🇦 CAN,…

— World Index (@theworldindex) January 10, 2024

For those unversed, the index created by the London-based company uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Where do India and other countries stand? India, which currently enjoys visa-free travel to 62 countries, has risen three spots from its 2023 rating of 83rd to 80th. Uzbekistan and India currently hold the same ranking. India was added to the lists of visa-free nations by Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Kenya last year. With visa-free travel to 193 locations, South Korea ranks second, after Finland and Sweden, while four European countries—Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands—tie for third place with 192. This year, the UK has jumped up two spots to take the fourth position, sharing access to 191 countries with Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal. The last three countries on the list, Greece, Malta, and Switzerland, all grant visa-free travel to 190 destinations. Australia and New Zealand are currently ranked sixth, like Poland and the Czech Republic, after improving in the standings. The US is still in seventh place, along with Canada and Hungary, with visa-free travel to 188 places. Ten years have passed since the US and the UK shared the top spot on the index in 2014. Journalist Misha Glenny stated that this is a general decline in American and European influence and that there is currently a “jostling for power among the Asian big boys,” as reported by The National News. The top ten now include Iceland, Latvia, Slovenia, and Estonia, increasing the total number of nations in this tier from 30 to 34. The Hong Kong passport, which allows its holders entry into 171 countries without a visa, remains stable at 19th rank. China and Ukraine are two of the top five nations whose rankings have increased the most in the last ten years; the former is ranked 32nd with 148 visa-free destinations, while the latter is ranked 62nd with 85 visa-free entries. Which are the least powerful passports? Afghanistan, on the other hand, provides the least powerful passport, allowing entry to just 28 places without the need for a prior visa. Syria is ranked second-lowest, having visa-free travel to just 29 places. Pakistan has access to 34, and Iraq has 31. It is interesting to note that North Korea, which rarely issues passports, offers visa-free access to about 42 countries. Why is the gap growing? With 106 additional visa-free destinations added to its score since 2014, the United Arab Emirates has risen the fastest on the index over the last ten years, currently ranking 11th this year. The passport index’s creator, Christian H Kaelin, chair of Henley and Partners, said in a statement that although there has been a general trend over the past 20 years towards greater travel freedom, the gap in global mobility between people at the top and bottom of the index is currently larger than it has ever been. “The average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024,” Kaelin said, according to The Independent. He added, “However, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa.” This is consistent with research that was released earlier this month in the Henley Global Mobility Report 2024 Q1, which demonstrated the relationship between visa-free travel and economic development. The National News quoted Professor Trevor Williams, former chief economist at Lloyds Bank, as saying, “In many respects, future global economic progress depends upon lagging regions showing substantial improvement in their openness to each other and on wealthier blocs and countries showing more openness to developing nations.” With inputs from agencies