In the newly released 2024 global passport rankings, India has claimed the 80th spot, allowing its citizens to travel to 62 countries without the need for a visa. This position is shared with Uzbekistan, while neighboring Pakistan is placed at 101st. The leading countries in passport power for the past five years, Singapore and Japan, now face competition from four European nations, namely France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. These European countries have jointly attained the top spot on the Henley Passport Index 2024, with visa-free access to 194 out of 227 destinations, three more than the previous year.
Other noteworthy movements include South Korea, Sweden, and Finland securing joint second place with access to 193 locations. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands share third place, allowing travel to 192 destinations. The United Arab Emirates has experienced significant growth over the past decade, rising to 11th place with access to 183 destinations without a visa. China has also progressed, moving up two spots to 62nd place, granting visa-free access to 85 destinations—nearly double the number from a decade ago.
Dr. Christian Kaelin, chairman of immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, highlighted the widening gap between countries in terms of travel freedom. While the overall trend shows an increase in travel freedom, the top-ranked countries now enjoy 166 more visa-free destinations compared to Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the list with access to just 28 countries without a visa.
Here is the list of the top 10 most powerful passports in 2024:
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (194 destinations) Finland, South Korea, Sweden (193 destinations) Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (192 destinations) Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom (193 destinations) Greece, Malta, Switzerland (190 destinations) Czech Republic, New Zealand, Poland (189 destinations) Canada, Hungary, United States (188 destinations) Estonia, Lithuania (187 destinations) Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (186 destinations) Iceland (185 destinations)
Global Passport Rankings 2024: Six Countries Share Top Position