New Delhi: A total of six countries have topped the list of the world's most powerful passports, according to the latest Henley Passport Index 2024. The citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a massive 194 destinations across the world, according to the index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
France jumped five points to the top after being ranked 6th in last year's index, while Germany and Italy jumped from third and fourth position respectively from 2023. Japan was listed at the top for seven consecutive years since 2018, while Singapore had topped the list in 2021 and 2022, but slipped to second place in 2023.
Finland, Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden came in second place, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom were tied at third place. The United States and Canada are tied at sixth place, jumping from eighth and seventh place respectively last year.
List of top 10 countries in the Henley Passport Index 2024
- France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain
- Finland, Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden
- Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom
- Belgium, Norway and Portugal
- Australia, Greece, Malta, New Zealand and Switzerland
- Canada, Czechia, Poland and the United States
- Hungary and Lithuania
- Estonia
- Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia
- Iceland
World's weakest passports
Afghanistan remained the country with the world's weakest passport, as it was ranked 109th on the list with visa-free travel to only 28 countries, unchanged from last year's list. Syria ranked second-lowest at 108, with visa-free travel to 29 countries. Additionally, Pakistan was ranked 106th in the list, the fourth-lowest, with visa-free travel to only 34 countries.
- Afghanistan
- Syria
- Iraq
- Pakistan
- Yemen
- Somalia
- Libya, Nepal and Palestinian territory
- Bangladesh and North Korea
- Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria and Sudan
- South Sudan
What is India's rank?
India slipped one rank to 85 in the passport index, with citizens allowed to travel to 62 countries without requiring a visa. India was ranked 84th last year, but its ranking surprisingly dropped despite adding two more countries to its visa-free travel list. The list of these 62 countries includes Angola, Barbados, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Laos, Nepal and more
India's ranking in the passport index dropped despite announcements from countries like Iran, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam to waive visa requirements for Indian tourists. India's low ranking suggests lower mobility of citizens across the world. Several factors impact the international mobility of the citizens of a country - particularly alluding to the political and security concerns related to immigration.
The Henley Passport Index maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information and is considered an important reference for global citizens. The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, giving users the most extensive and reliable information about their global access and mobility.
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