Indian Passport Ranking 2024: Travel to New Destinations Visa-Free

Posted on: Mar 20, 2024 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Indian Passport Ranking 2024: Travel to New Destinations Visa-Free

The new year is here, bringing new opportunities for travel. If you plan to go on that much-awaited foreign trip, applying for a passport is mandatory. If you are a globe trotter always seeking new destinations to explore, different visas must already tattoo your passport, and it is a sight to behold. Well, there is good news for both seasoned travellers and amateurs: the Indian passport ranking on the recently published Henly Passport Index has increased to the 80th position.

Earlier, the Indian passport ranking in 2023 was 85th, and this new rank allows an Indian passport holder to travel to 62 countries without a visa. Now, isn't that exciting?

Visit the consulate or embassy for a visa and then pay steep visa fees, or worse, face rejections, which can be a huge damper to your travel plans. In today's blog, we will cover the advantages of the new Indian passport ranking and how it can help you plan your next holiday!

But before you rush to buy tickets and plan the itinerary, do not forget to get family travel insurance . This small investment can protect you and your loved ones as you explore the world worry-free!

What is the Henley Passport Index?

Are you, for the first time, hearing about passport ranking? Let us cover some details about the Henley Passport Index and how a country's ranking can impact citizens' travel plans.

The Henley Passport Index is an authoritative ranking of all the world's passports. This rank is denoted according to the number of destinations the citizens can travel to without a prior visa. The organisation uses privileged data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to determine this rank.

The Henley Passport Index evaluates the visa-free access of 199 passports to 227 destinations. If no visa is required, the passport is assigned a score of one. The same is true whether you can receive a visa on arrival (VOA), a visitor's permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) upon entering the location.

Where a visa is necessary or where a passport bearer must get a government-approved electronic visa (e-Visa) prior to travel, a score of 0 is assigned. This also applies if you require pre-departure official clearance for a visa upon arrival.

The Indian passport ranking has improved considerably in the last few years, but we still have a long way to go to catch up with our Asian neighbours.

Among our immediate neighbours:

• Pakistan ranks 101st, and its passport holders can travel to 34 visa-free destinations.

• Sri Lanka ranks 96th, and its passport holders can travel to 43 visa-free destinations.

• Bangladesh ranks 97th, and Bangladeshi nationals can travel to 42 visa-free destinations.

• Nepal ranks 98th, and its citizens can travel to 40 visa-free destinations.

• China ranks 62nd, and its passport holders can travel to 85 visa-free destinations.

• Bhutan ranks 87th, and its citizens can travel to 55 visa-free destinations.

Henley Passport Index India Rank

In the 2024 Henley Passport Index, the Indian passport ranking is 80th. Our passport ranking has not always been linear. A decade back, it was placed 76th, with 52 countries granting Indian passport holders visa-free access. It ranked 88 in 2015, 85 in 2016, 87 in 2017, 81 in 2018, 82 in 2019 and 2020, and 81 in 2021.

In 2022, the Indian passport was 87th, followed by 85th position in 2023. The 2024 ranking has been the best in a decade. This means Indians can travel to 62 countries visa-free, and we are currently tied alongside Uzbekistan.

If you want to make the most of this opportunity and travel to foreign locations, do not forget to get international travel insurance . It can help safeguard you from delays, cancellations, medical emergencies, and others while you enjoy your holiday in an exotic location.

Some of the countries where Indians can travel visa-free are Angola, Barbados, Cambodia, Fiji, Haiti, Jamaica, Malaysia, Maldives, and others.

Are you excited to get jet setting?

You must remember a few things before booking your next foreign trip. This includes checking the validity of your passport (it must have a minimum of 6 months of validity), reading about the country's culture and current political condition, and finally, getting travel insurance .

10 Most Powerful Passports

Now that we know the Indian passport ranking let us look into the top 10 most powerful passports in the world:

Rank in 2024	Country Name
1	France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain
2	Finland, South Korea, Sweden
3	Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands
4	Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom
5	Greece, Malta, Switzerland
6	Australia, Czechia, New Zealand, Poland
7	Canada, Hungary, USA
8	Estonia, Lithuania
9	Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia
10	Iceland

Conclusion

So, are you excited to plan your next trip? Well, the strong Indian passport ranking indeed opens up new travel destinations for you. A strong passport also opens various other opportunities like travelling visa-free, working in foreign locations, reduced time with airport security and immigration and more.

Many factors impact the strength and ranking of a passport, such as foreign relations, current political stability, strength of the currency, and more.

Over the past few years, India has worked hard to improve its standing among the international community. Thus, we as travellers can reap its many advantages.

So, make the most of this opportunity and get travelling, which many countries do not have.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which passport is the weakest?

Afghanistan's passport is the weakest in the world, ranking 104th. Its citizens can only travel to 28 countries in the world visa-free.

2. Which visa is the hardest for Indians to obtain?

The Russian visa is often considered one of the strictest visa applications to get approved because the country has a very strong vetting process.

Disclaimer The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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