In the latest Henley Passport Index, a total of six countries are tied for the first spot as the world's most powerful passport. 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, said the index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Japan and Singapore have dominated the top spot for the past five years, but the new top five is a major victory for Europe. Finland and Sweden are tied for the second spot with South Korea with visa-free access to 193 countries, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands are tied for the third.
Which countries have the world's strongest passports?
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain have the world's most powerful passports, according to the Henley Passport Index 2024 Q1. Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom are in the fourth position, while Greece, Malta and Switzerland are at the fifth.
The United States and Canada are tied in seventh place, along with Hungary, with visa-free access to 188 destinations. It has been a decade since the UK and the US jointly held the first place on the index in 2014. With these rankings, European countries have dominated the world's top 10 strongest passports. Afghanistan occupies the bottom-most spot with visa-free access to only 28 countries, while Pakistan is ranked 101 on the list.
List of top 10 countries in the Henley Passport Index 2024
- France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain
- Finland, South Korea and Sweden
- Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands
- Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom
- Greece, Malta and Switzerland
- Australia, Czechia, New Zealand and Poland
- Canada, Hungary and the United States
- Estonia and Lithuania
- Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia
- Iceland
What is India's rank?
India is ranked 80th in the passport index, with citizens allowed to travel to 62 countries without requiring a visa. India jumped three spots from 2023 and shares its rank with Uzbekistan.
The list of these 62 countries includes Barbados, Fiji, Bhutan, Maldives, Togo, Senegal, and other countries. Indian citizens can stay in visa-free countries for about one week to three months. The rest of the countries may also have their own different rules.
India's low ranking suggests lower mobility of citizens across the world. There are many factors that impact the international mobility of the citizens of a country - particularly alluding to the political and security concerns related to immigration. More specifically, many countries are also concerned with the risks of over-immigration, stemming from India's large population, which threatens the security and economy of the host nation.
Dr Christian H Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says although the general trend over the history of the 19-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than ever.
"The average number of destinations travelers are able to 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.
What is the Henry Passport Index?
The Henry Passport Index is based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information and is considered an important reference for global citizens.
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