World’s Most Powerful Passports in 2023: India Climbs Up Two Positions
Introduction
The 2023 Henley Passport Index is now out, with Japan taking the top rank for the fifth consecutive year. According to the passport index, India is rated 85th, which means that people with Indian passports may travel to 59 countries without a visa. India, which was ranked 87th last year, has moved up two spots in the rankings this year. Passport holders from Japan are permitted entry into 193 nations without a visa. The passport index is based on information from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), and it compares 199 different passports based on their ability to travel to 227 distinct international locations. Additionally, it is updated four times a year.
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Henley Passport Index
The Henley Passport Index, sometimes known as HPI, ranks nations on a worldwide scale based on the degree of freedom of movement that ordinary passport holders of those nations can enjoy. It began in 2006 under the name Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI), then in January 2018 it underwent changes and a name change.
The website ranks 199 passports annually based on how many nations its holders are eligible to visit without a visa. A passport’s “score” for being able to travel without a visa is determined by the number of countries it may enter. Henley & Partners has examined the visa policies of the great majority of nations and territories worldwide since 2006 in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and using verified data from their global database.
According to how many countries may be accessed with a specific country’s regular passport without needing a previous visa, or how many destinations are “visa-free,” the Henley Passport Index (HPI) rates passports. In comparison to 227 vacation locations throughout the world, which are comprised of countries, territories, and micro-states, the list includes a total of 199 passports in its survey.
The IATA database’s distinct destination nations and territories are all taken into account. There are many less passports rated than places against which inquiries are conducted, though, as not all territories issue passports.
India advances two spots
Based on unique data given by the International Air Transport Association, London-based global citizenship and residence advice business Henley & Partners has issued the Henley Passport Index for the year 2023. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), “The index comprises 199 passports and 227 travel locations, offering consumers the most comprehensive and dependable information about their worldwide access and mobility.” The grading methodology for the index was created to provide consumers with a nuanced, realistic, and trustworthy picture of the strength of their passport. According to the statement, each passport is graded according to how many total places its owner is able to visit without a visa.
According to the Henley Passport power scores, access to more than 70% of the global economy is only available in 6% of the world’s nations. Only 17% of states allow visa-free travel to more than 4/5 of the world’s 227 destinations, according to the Henley Passport Index. Japan continues to be the country with the most powerful passports, according to the research published on January 10th. Up to 193 nations across the world provide visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to Japanese nationals. The second position, held by Singapore and South Korea, grants 192 nations visa-free travel to its destinations.
Speaking of India, the research said that 59 countries across the world do not require a visa for entrance, placing the Indian passport 85th in the list of the most powerful passports in 2023. The nation was rated 82nd in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, 84th in 2021, 85th in 2022, and 83rd in 2023.
59 countries, including Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Macao, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Iran, and Qatar, do not require visas for bearers of Indian passports. However, in other nations you could need a visa upon arrival.
Speaking of the poorest passport, Afghanistan’s passport comes in 109th place overall with a score of 27 for visa-free travel. Iraq’s passport is listed as having the second-worst visa-free score, at 108.
The top 10 countries in the list are:
1. Japan
2. Singapore
3. South Korea
4. Germany
5. Spain
6. Finland
7. Italy
8. Luxembourg
9. Austria
10. Denmark
Second-placed passports from Singapore and South Korea provide visa-free travel to 192 nations. Afghanistan is ranked 109th on the index, at the bottom due to the upheaval the country is experiencing. Only 27 nations grant Afghan passport holders visa-free travel.
Contributed by Sanal Pillai
Edited by Imtiaz Ullah