The Henley Passport Index is out with an update. And it’s a big one. Singapore is now, officially, the most powerful passport in the world with visa-free access to 192 destinations. Until earlier this year, the position had been held by Japan for the past five years, at most jointly shared with Singapore in some cases. The strongest passport in the world, is now officially, the Singapore Passport. If you are a citizen of Singapore, then you can travel to 192 countries visa-free. A tiny little country with such a big power, speaks for itself.

Understanding the Henley Passport Index

The Henley Passport Index stands as a testament to the seamless global connectivity we cherish. Rooted in data shared by the esteemed International Air Travel Authority (IATA), this prestigious ranking system assesses the visa-free access offered by 199 passports across a staggering 227 destinations. Updated regularly, the Henley Passport Index encapsulates the spirit of progress, innovation, and boundless exploration.

This quarter Germany, Italy, and Spain have taken second place with visa-free access to 190 destinations.

The last time the first spot was jointly held by the US and UK was back in 2014. Since then, the countries’ passports have continually dropped in power. This year, though, things are looking up for the UK as it has jumped two steps up to grab the fourth place in the list. The US remains on a downgrade, dropping down to 8th position with access to 184 nations.

Travel freedom has also seen a consistent uptick in a few countries. As per the report, UAE has climbed up 44 places in the past 10 years and currently stands at 12th position.

UAE has been gaining momentum in recent years with a huge inflow of capital and expats. The UAE government is investing heavily in other projects to drive its economy. These efforts have also led to UAE passports being favoured this year.

Here are countries with the top 10 ranking in the Henley Passport Index:

1. Singapore (192 locations) – Strongest Passport in the World
2. Germany, Italy and Spain (190 locations)
3. Japan, Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea and Sweden (189 locations)
4. UK, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands (188 locations)
5. Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, and Switzerland (187 locations)
6. Australia, Hungary and Poland (186 locations)
7. Canada and Greece (185 locations)
8. Lithuania and the United States (184 locations)
9. Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia (183 locations)
10. Estonia and Iceland (182 locations)

Where does India lie in Passport strength?

India lies at Rank 80. India is working very hard to improve that. The economy is improving, access is improving, capital is flowing in. But, all this is not enough. Even today, if you want to visit Europe or any other developed country, the visa process is tedious. In order to join the race for the strongest passport, India needs to start building up better ties with all nations. Apart from the ties, it needs to focus on better visa negotiations with each other, and not just educational but tourism as well. India is promoting domestic tourism a lot, but it should also focus on foreign tourism. One of the main reasons to avoid that is the demand for US Dollars. The more people visit outside nations, the stronger the dollar will be. Hence, the government is not putting much effort into this.

The government has started talking and building the infrastructure required for e-passports and should be launched by as soon as the end of 2023.

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