Passport News: The Henley Passport Index 2024 has been made public, and France is ranked #1. Holders of a French passport are free to enter 194 nations without a visa. Any nation’s passport strength demonstrates its soft power influence over the globe. In the Henley Passport Index, India shows its passport to 85th rank.
Henley Passport Index Methodology
Based on visa-free entry, the Henley Index assesses a nation’s passport strength. In other words, the strongest passport is the one that allows entry into the majority of nations without a visa.
According to the Henley Passport Index, France is #1. Japan, Singapore, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France round out the top five. With 193 visa-free locations, Finland, South Korea, and Sweden rank second in the Henley Passport Ranking. Austria ranks third with 192 countries that don’t require a visa.
India’s 2024 Passport Ranking
In comparison to the previous year, India’s passport has dropped one spot in 2024. India now sits at 85th place in the Henley Passport Index, down from 84th place the previous year. India’s drop in the rankings is rather unexpected considering that, whereas Indian passport holders were able to enter 60 countries last year without a visa, this year that number has grown to 62.
Iran recently declared that visitors from India will not need a visa to enter. Indian visitors are permitted 15 days of visa-free travel in Iran. Other nations that have long since declared visa-free access for Indians are Malaysia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s Consistent Passport Ranking
In terms of rankings, Pakistan is ranked 106th this year, same as it was previous year. Bangladesh, which borders India, has also dropped from 101st to 102nd place from the previous year. The Maldives, India’s ocean neighbour, nevertheless has a valid passport. The Maldivian passport ranks 58th and allows its users to visit 96 countries without a visa.
The Henley Passport Index shows that China’s passport is performing exceptionally well. China’s passport jumped two spots this year to come in at 64th place, from 66th place in 2023. Several European nations are now able to enter China without a visa in an effort to boost travel after the Covid pandemic.
Shift in American Passport Ranking
In addition, this year’s American passport is more powerful than last year’s. America ranked seventh last year, but it is now in sixth place this year. Afghanistan was still ranked lowest in the Henley passport rankings. Under Taliban leadership, Afghanistan consistently falls behind, and its passport performs the worst. Afghanistan’s passport ranks lowest, at number 109, with 28 countries that do not require a visa.
Henley Passport Index Overview
The Henley Passport Index website states that it has information on passports from 19 different nations over the past 19 years. The Henley Passport Index is the only index of its kind, according to the website, and it is based on unique data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). There are 227 distinct travel places and 199 distinct passports in the index.
The website states that the index is updated once a month. The website states that when it comes to the strength of passports worldwide, the Henley Passport Index serves as a standard for individuals and sovereign nations alike.
Data from the Henley Passport Index indicates that within the past 20 years, there has been a notable shift in global mobility. Visa-free travel to an average of 58 nations was possible in 2006; however, this year, that number has nearly doubled to 111 countries.