According to the most recent Henley Passport Index, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain will begin 2024 with the most powerful passports in the world, granting visa-free admission to 194 international locations. The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) data is the basis for the rating.
Japan and Singapore have occupied the top rank for the last five years. But the ranking for this quarter shows that European countries are putting up a strong show. Finland, Sweden, and South Korea tied for second position, providing visa-free travel to 193 locations. Third place goes to Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands, giving passport holders access to 192 locations.
India’s passport came in at number 80 on the list; holders are permitted to enter 62 nations—including well-known tourism hotspots like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand—without a visa. India is currently ranked 101st, while neighboring Pakistan is ranked 102nd. India shares this place with Uzbekistan.
The passport index’s inventor and chairman of Henley & Partners, Christian H. Kaelin, emphasized the growing disparity in international mobility between nations. The gap between the top and bottom of the index has hit an all-time high, notwithstanding a general trend over the past 20 years toward greater travel flexibility.
According to Mr. Kaelin, “The average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024.”
He stressed that the top-ranked nations may now visit an astounding 166 more locations without a visa than Afghanistan, which comes in last on the list and can only visit 28 countries visa-free. Syria is ranked second lowest with only 29 places offering visa-free travel, after Iraq with 31 and Pakistan with 34.