Singapore has regained its title as the world’s most powerful passport in the 2024 index, offering its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to an impressive 195 countries. Following closely behind are France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Japan
The Henley Passport Index has released its 2024 ranking of the most powerful passports in the world, placing India at 82nd globally. This ranking allows Indian passport holders to travel to 58 countries without the need for a visa. Compared to last year, when India was ranked 80th, this represents a decline of two positions.
The Henley Passport Index, which compiles its data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), serves as a comprehensive resource for assessing global travel privileges. Over the years, India’s passport performance has fluctuated significantly. In 2014, India held the 76th position, granting access to 52 countries. The following year saw a sharp drop to 88th place with visa-free access to just 51 nations.
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Here’s a closer look at the index reveals the following annual rankings for India:
• 2015: 88th
• 2016: 85th
• 2017: 87th
• 2018: 81st
• 2019: 82nd
• 2020: 82nd
• 2021: 81st
In stark contrast, Singapore has regained its title as the world’s most powerful passport in the 2024 index, offering its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to an impressive 195 countries. Following closely behind are France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Japan, all tied for second place with access to 192 countries.
Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden round out the top three, providing entry to 191 destinations.
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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 highlights the varying degrees of global mobility offered by different national passports, a reflection of international diplomatic relations and travel agreements. Notably, Pakistan’s passport is ranked 100th, giving its holders access to 33 countries, while Afghanistan occupies the last place with visa-free entry to just 26 destinations.
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For nearly two decades, the Henley Passport Index has meticulously tracked travel freedoms across 227 countries and territories worldwide, utilising real-time updates and exclusive data from the IATA to reflect the latest changes in visa policies globally.
