India stands at 85th position on the Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 passports based on their strengths. New Delhi’s ranking has dropped one place to 85th spot from the previous year’s 84th position. India has visa-free access to 62 nations.
Meanwhile, France is at the number one spot, with its passport holders enjoying visa-free entry to 194 nations. Besides, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain have also occupied top positions, allowing visa-free entry to 194 global destinations.
Finland, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden, also have powerful passports with visa-free access to 193 nations. The Maldives is ranked 58th.
In South Asia, Pakistan retains its 106th position from last year, meanwhile, Bangladesh has also slipped on point – from 101st to 102nd.
Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan are at the bottom of the index.
The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
The official site states that the index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the largest, most accurate travel information database that has been enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team.
In its report, Henley & Partners stated that it conducted exclusive new research into the relationship between “visa-free access and economic progress by comparing key metrics across various regional and economic groups worldwide”.
The groups include the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the G7, the G20, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR).
It also included the expanded BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) bloc, which officially welcomed new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in early January.
