World’s most powerful passports in 2023: Where does India stand?

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. The index’s scoring system was developed to give users a nuanced, practical, and reliable overview of their passport’s power. Each passport is scored on the total number of destinations that the holder can access visa-free, it said.

Only 6 percent of the world’s countries gives you access to more than 70 percent of the global economy, as per the Henley Passport power scores.

According to the Henley Passport Index, only 17 percent of countries grant you visa-free access to more than four fifths of the world’s 227 destinations,

According to the report released on 10 January, Japan continues to top the list of the world’s most powerful passport. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 193 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access destinations around the world.

The second spot is shared by Singapore and South Korea and gives visa-free access destinations to 192 countries.

Countries like France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom are tied at the sixth spot with a visa-free score of 187.

Countries like the United States, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Czech Republic and Switzerland are tied at the seventh position with regard to the most powerful passports in the world with a visa-free score of 186.

Speaking of India, as per the report, the Indian passport ranks 85th in the world’s most powerful passport index 2023 and gives 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.

Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to 59 destinations like Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Macao, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Iran and Qatar. However, you might require visa-on-arrival in some countries

Speaking of the worst passport, Afghanistan’s passport is the world’s worst passport ranked at 109 with a visa- free score of 27. Iraq is the second worst passport ranked at 108 with a visa- free score of 29.

Syria ranks at 107 with a visa- free score of 30. At number 106, Pakistan is in Top 5 list in the world’s worst passport to hold with a visa- free score of 32. Yemen ranks at 105 with with a visa- free score of 34.

Here are the World’s top 10 most powerful passports: