Intrigued to know what a ‘powerful passport’ is? The country with the highest visa-free score has the most powerful passport. Keeping the same in mind, London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners has released the Henley Passport Index for the year 2023, based on exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
“The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, giving users the most extensive and reliable information about their global access and mobility,” it said.
What is the index’s scoring system?
The index’s scoring system was developed to give users a reliable overview of their passport’s power. Each passport is scored on the total number of destinations that the holder can access visa-free.
As per the Henley Passport power scores, only 6 per cent of the world’s countries gives travellers access to more than 70 per cent of the global economy.
According to the Henley Passport Index, only 17 per cent of countries grant you visa-free access to more than four-fifths of the world’s 227 destinations.
Japan ranked as the world’s most powerful passport while Singapore and South Korea jointly occupied the second spot. Germany and Spain ranked as the third most powerful passports in the world.
World’s Most Powerful Passports 2023
Japan – 193
Singapore, South Korea – 192
Germany, Spain – 190
Finland, Italy, Luxembourg -189
Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden – 188
France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom -187
Belgium, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States – 186
Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta – 185
Poland, Hungary – 184
Lithuania, Slovakia – 183
Where does India stand?
The Indian passport ranks 85th in the world’s most powerful passport index in 2023 and allows visa-free entry to 59 destinations worldwide. Earlier in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, the country ranked at 82nd spot, 84th, 85th, and 83rd respectively.
Where can Indian passport holders travel visa-free?
Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to 59 destinations like Sri Lanka, Iran, Qatar, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Macao, Maldives, Nepal, Thailand, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. However, you might require a visa-on-arrival in some countries.