As of 2023, India’s passport ranking has improved, moving up to the 80th spot from 87 in 2022. This advancement grants its holders visa-free access to as many as 57 countries, according to a report. According to the latest Henley Passport Index, Singapore has claimed the title of the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free entry to an impressive 192 global destinations. This position was previously held by Japan.
Sharing the 80th spot with India are the countries Senegal and Togo. On the other hand, Germany, Italy, and Spain have made significant progress and currently share the 2nd place with visa-free access to 190 destinations. Japanese passport holders, along with those from Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden, are tied for the 3rd place, providing access to 189 destinations without requiring a prior visa.
The Henley Passport Index rankings are based on the number of destinations that passport holders can access without a prior visa, primarily using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
In contrast, India’s neighbor Pakistan holds the unfortunate position of having the fourth worst passport in the world, granting its holders visa-free access to only 33 countries.
At the lowest rank of the Henley Openness Index, there are four countries with a score of zero, indicating that they do not offer visa-free access to any passport holders. These countries are North Korea, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Papua New Guinea.
For reference, here is the list of 57 countries that Indian passport holders can travel to visa-free:
- Barbados
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- British Virgin Islands
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cape Verde Islands
- Comoro Islands
- Cook Islands
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Grenada
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Laos
- Macao (SAR China)
- Madagascar
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Micronesia
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Niue
- Oman
- Palau Islands
- Qatar
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Zimbabwe