India was ranked at the 85th position, along with Mauritania and Uzbekistan, among 199 countries in a list of the world’s most powerful passports, said a report published on Wednesday.
According to the 2023 Henley Passport Index, India’s rank rose by two places from last year’s 87th position.
The report was published by citizenship and residence consultancy firm Henley and Partners. The Henley Passport Index measures the strength of all the passports around the world, based on how many destinations can be accessed by the passport-holders of a specific country, without pre-departure visa application.
According to the report, Indians can only travel to 59 countries without needing a visa.
Japan has secured the top spot on the index for the fifth year in a row, according to The Times of India. Those who hold Japanese passports can visit 193 countries without a visa.
The weakest passport is that of Afghanistan (109th position) and its citizens can only visit 27 countries without a visa. Pakistan is also among the country with the weakest passports. Ranked at the 106th position, Pakistani passport allows for visa-free entry to 32 countries.
The United States’ passport is the world’s seventh most powerful one, while the Chinese passport is the 66th most powerful one, according to the index.
The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Authority. The consulting firm analyses 199 passports and 227 travel destinations and updates the index on a quarterly basis.
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