As of the beginning of 2024, the world’s most powerful passports, allowing visa-free entry to 194 global destinations, belong to France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
While Japan and Singapore have consistently held the No. 1 spot for the past five years, this quarter’s ranking sees European nations making significant advancements. Finland and Sweden, tied with South Korea, secured the second position, providing visa-free access to 193 destinations. The third position is shared by Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands, allowing passport holders access to 192 destinations.
India’s passport holds the 80th spot on the list, enabling citizens to travel to 62 countries without a visa, including popular tourist destinations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. India shares this rank with Uzbekistan, while neighboring Pakistan is positioned at 101st.
Christian H Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the passport index, emphasized the widening global mobility gap between countries. Despite an overall trend toward increased travel freedom over the past two decades, the disparity between the top and bottom of the index has reached an all-time high.
Mr. Kaelin noted, “The average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024.” He highlighted that the top-ranked countries now enjoy the privilege of traveling to 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which occupies the bottom spot on the list, with access to only 28 countries without a visa. Syria, with visa-free access to only 29 destinations, holds the second-lowest position, followed by Iraq with 31 and Pakistan with 34.