India has slipped to the 85th spot on the Henley Passport Index. India had gone up to 80th position in January when the rankings for 2024 were unveiled. The Henley Passport Index is updated monthly.
Six countries still jointly hold the top position in the 2024 Henley Passport Index, offering their citizens visa-free access to a record-breaking number of destinations.
The most powerful passports in the world now allow citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Singapore to travel 194 out of 227 destinations worldwide without requiring a visa, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Four EU members have joined them at the top: Germany, Italy, Spain, and France.
India dropped five places from being 85rd in January to 85th in the February rankings, having visa-free access to 62 destinations. Last year, countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand and Kenya added India to their visa-free lists.
"The average number of destinations travelers can access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, the top-ranked countries now have a staggering 166 more visa-free destinations than Afghanistan, which ranks at the bottom with access to just 28 countries without a visa," Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the originator of the passport index concept, said, highlighting the widening global mobility gap.
