Japan currently has the world’s most powerful passport, allowing visa-free entry to 193 global destinations.
The ranking comes from the latest Henley Passport Index which is published by London-based immigration consultancy Henley & Partners.
It uses data from the International Air Transport Association to rank 199 passports’ access to 227 travel destinations.
What does ‘most powerful passport’ mean?
The index ranks passports based on their power and mobility.
Being the most powerful means that the passport allows the most visa-free access to other destinations.
Japan enjoys this status for the fifth consecutive year.
Behind Japan stands Singapore and South Korea in joint second, followed by Germany and Spain, and then a slew of other European nations.
Where the other major nations stand
The US was among the top 22, with visa-free access to 186 places, matching Switzerland, New Zealand and Norway.
China’s allows access to 80, the same as Bolivia’s.
Russia fares better with its passport granting hassle-free entry to 118 destinations.
Afghanistan’s remained the weakest, with access to just 27.
Top 10 strongest passports in the world
1. Japan (193)
2. Singapore/South Korea (192)
3. Germany/Spain (190)
4. Finland/Italy/Luxembourg (189)
5. Austria/Denmark/Netherlands/Sweden (188)
6. France/Ireland/Portugal/United Kingdom (187)
7. Belgium/Czech Republic/New Zealand/Norway/Switzerland/United States (186)
8. Australia/Canada/Greece/Malta (185)
9. Hungary/Poland (184)
10. Lithuania/Slovakia (183)
Countries that fall in the bottom 10
100. Sri Lanka/Sudan (42)
101. Bangladesh/Kosovo/Libya (41)
102. North Korea (40 including Bangladesh, and Nepal in Asia)
103. Nepal/Palestinian Territory (38)
104. Somalia (35)
105. Yemen (34)
106. Pakistan (32)
107. Syria (30)
108. Iraq (29)
109. Afghanistan (27)
Indian passport’s performance
Meanwhile India stands at the 85th position, two places ahead of last year’s 87th spot.
Last year, an Indian passport holder had visa-free access to 60 countries; this year, one has access to 59.
Owing to increasing migration, Indian passport holders have lost visa-free access to Serbia.
Starting January 1, 2023, Indian passport holders are required to apply for a visa to enter the country unlike earlier which allowed visa-free travel for 90 days.
Underwhelming performance nothing new
Just 59 destinations is not a good number, especially considering that India is the world’s fifth-largest economy.
Its ranks have always been falling between 80-87 with easy access to 55-60 countries at most.
Indian passport-friendly destinations
Destinations which do not require Indian passport holders to have a visa include:
- Bhutan
- Indonesia
- Macao
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Kenya
- Mauritius
- Seychelles
- Zimbabwe
- Uganda
- Iran
- Qatar
