There is good news for you if you are an Indian passport holder planning a trip or an education/work-related expedition to a foreign country, but worried about the visa? Now you do not need a prior visa to travel to 60 countries.
Henley Passport Index
Based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Henley Passport Index ranks all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. In the recent rankings, the Henley Passport Index has ranked India 87th globally out of 199 passports.
It is pertinent to note that Japan has topped the chart, indicating that a Japanese passport provides hassle-free entry to 193 countries and therefore, retains the status of the most powerful for the fifth year in a row. Singapore and South Korea are in the second and third positions respectively, providing access to 192 countries.
The rest of the top 10 include countries such as Germany, Spain, Finland, Luxembourg, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Canada and more. The UK is positioned at 6th with access to 187 countries, while the US is 7th with a score of 186. The Russian passport is ranked 50th, giving hassle-free access to 119 nations and China is ranked 69th with access to 80 countries. Among the lowest ranks, Afghanistan’s passport is slated to give the holder access to only 27 countries.
India’s Position Globally
As mentioned above, the Indian passport retains the 87th position, therefore providing easy access to 60 countries. Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian government suspended International flights to curb the spread of the virus. But, the life of ban after a period of two years in March this year on international travel has helped the passport regain strength.
Visa-free access to a tourist destination not only makes travelling cheaper but also hassle-free.