India ranks 85 in Passport ranking by Henley’s Index

In News

Recently, the Henley Passport Index released the global ranking of world’s passport according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

About

The Henley Passport Index is the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information, and enhanced by ongoing research by the Henley and Partners Research Development.

Japan is at the top position in passport ranking. India has slipped down to 85th position in 2021 that is lower than the rankings of 2019 and 2020.

Top 10 Countries according to Henley’s Ranking of 2021

1. Japan (191 destinations)
2. Singapore (190 destinations)
3. South Korea, Germany (189 destinations )
4. Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (188 destinations )
5. Denmark, Austria (187 destinations )
6. Sweden, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland (186 destinations)
7. Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, New Zealand (185 destinations)
8. Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Australia (184 destinations)
9. Canada (183 destinations)
10. Hungary (181 destinations)

Visa is an important and essential document that has to be presented along with the passport. It is usually glued with the holder’s passport. There are several types of visas that provide different rights to the holder in the host country. No immigration should happen without an agreement between a visitor’s home nation and the destination nation. A visa is like a permission letter that states who may or may not enter the country.

Most of the countries follow bilateral visa policy where both countries allow visa-free travel to each other’s citizens. A country’s visa policy depends on many factors such as a country’s diplomatic relations, tourism, cost and expenses, or any history of illegal immigration from the country.

The Henley Passport Index is the most rigorous and sophisticated measure of global access. The Henley Passport Index is the only passport index that is based on IATA data, enhanced by extensive in-house research, supported by expert commentary, and updated regularly throughout the year, making it the most robust, credible, and reliable index of its kind.