New Delhi: The Henley Passport Index 2024, which ranks the world’s passports according to their global mobility and visa-free access, has been released. France has emerged as the winner, securing the top position with its passport allowing entry to 194 countries without a visa. India, on the other hand, has performed slightly worse than last year, dropping from 84th to 85th rank.
The Henley Passport Index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), covering 199 different passports and 227 travel destinations worldwide. The index assigns a score to each passport based on the number of countries that can be visited without a prior visa, a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority.
According to a report by India Today, India’s decline in passport ranking is surprising, as the number of visa-free countries for Indian passport holders has increased from 60 to 62. This includes the recent announcements of visa-free entry for Indian citizens in Iran, Malaysia, and Thailand. However, these additions have not been enough to improve India’s ranking, which has been affected by the changes in the visa policies of other countries.
The Henley Passport Index 2024 shows that France is followed by Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, which share the second spot with their passports granting visa-free access to 193 countries. The third spot is shared by Austria, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden, with 192 countries. The bottom three spots are occupied by Afghanistan (26 countries), Iraq (28 countries), and Syria (29 countries).
Among India’s neighbors, Maldives has the strongest passport, ranking 58th with 96 visa-free countries. Nepal ranks 101st with 54 countries, Sri Lanka ranks 102nd with 53 countries, Bangladesh ranks 103rd with 52 countries, and Pakistan ranks 106th with 49 countries.
The following table shows the top 10 and bottom 10 passports in the Henley Passport Index 2024, along with their scores and ranks.
| Passport | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| France | 194 | 1 |
| Germany | 193 | 2 |
| Italy | 193 | 2 |
| Japan | 193 | 2 |
| Singapore | 193 | 2 |
| Spain | 193 | 2 |
| Austria | 192 | 3 |
| Denmark | 192 | 3 |
| Finland | 192 | 3 |
| Luxembourg | 192 | 3 |
| … | … | … |
| Yemen | 37 | 107 |
| Somalia | 34 | 108 |
| North Korea | 30 | 109 |
| Syria | 29 | 110 |
| Iraq | 28 | 111 |
| Afghanistan | 26 | 112 |
