Indian passport ranked 80th spot in the world’s most powerful passport list for 2024, with citizens allowed to travel to 62 countries without a visa. The country shares its rank with Uzbekistan, while the neighboring nation Pakistan is positioned at 101 spot.
Singapore and Japan have boasted the world’s most powerful travel documents for the last five years, granting their citizens access to more countries without a prior visa than anyone else.
However, things have changed this year as four European countries have moved up to share the top spot on the Henley Passport Index 2024 with those Asian nations. Residents of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain now have visa-free access to 194 of 227 destinations, three more than last year.
South Korea, Sweden, and Finland all climbed one spot to take joint second place, with access to 193 locations. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands shared third place, allowing travel to 192 places, Bloomberg reported.
The United Arab Emirates was the fastest climber over the past decade, jumping to 11th place and offering access to 183 destinations without a visa. And China, up two spots this year to land in 62nd place, has visa-free access to 85 destinations — almost twice as many as 10 years ago.
Dr Christian Kaelin, chairman of immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, said that while the general trend over the years had been toward greater travel freedom, the gap between those at either end of the list was wider than ever.
“The average number of destinations travelers can access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, as we enter the new year, 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,” he said.
List of top 10 most powerful passports 2024
1) France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (194 destinations)
2) Finland, South Korea, Sweden (193 destinations)
3) Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (192 destinations)
4) Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom (193 destinations)
5) Greece, Malta, Switzerland (190 destinations)
6) Czech Republic, New Zealand, Poland (189 destinations)
7) Canada, Hungary, United States (188 destinations)
8) Estonia, Lithuania (187 destinations)
9) Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (186 destinations)
10) Iceland (185 destinations)
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Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
