Most powerful passports in the world 2022: Where does the Indian passport rank?
Covid-19 seems to be largely receding from most countries. Travel is on everyone’s mind. But there are still several factors to consider – from a country’s individual stance on opening up as Covid recedes... and then, of course, there is Vladimir Putin and the Ukraine war.
But most importantly, ease of travel decides the travel itinerary. On Tuesday, April 5, 2022, the Henley Passport Index released the ranking of passports of countries around the world for Q2 of 2022.
So, where does India rank on this passport index? Has it slipped or gained ranks? Or is it at the same spot as earlier?
Here’s what you need to know about India’s passport rank:
1. India slipped 2 places in the Q2 ranking this year compared to Q1.
2. India ranks 85th on the passport ranking index, out of 199 passports in Q2.
3. In Q1, India ranked 83rd, which was up from the 90th place in the last quarter of 2021.
4. Indian passport holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival facilities in 59 countries. The number of countries with visa-free access has not changed since Q1.
5. Indian passport is in the same position as the passports of Mauritania and Tajikistan.
Check out the list of top 10 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations that Indian passport holders can plan a trip to.
Check out the complete list of countries where Indian passport holders can travel visa-free.
Where do other countries rank?
1. Japan and Singapore are the most powerful passports in this quarter, and rank no 1 on the passport index. The two Asian countries have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 192 countries.
2. Germany and South Korea rank no 2 on the most powerful passports in the world, with access to 190 countries.
3. Four European countries share the 3rd place on the list – Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain.
4. Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands and Sweden share the 4th place on the Henley Passport Index.
5. The UK ranks 5th, the US ranks 6th, and Australia and Canada rank 7th on the list.
6. The Ukraine-Russia war has propelled the Ukrainian passport to 34th place, up 4 places from 2021, as countries try to accommodate refugees. On the other hand, the Russian passport remains at 49th place with access to 117 countries. Though the rank has improved since 2021, when it was at 52nd position, the access to countries has decreased by just 1 country. However, Russia’s passport is expected to decline in power as the year progresses.
7. Afghanistan’s passport is the least powerful in the world, ranking last at 112nd position with access to only 26 countries. It is worse than the North Korean passport, which is at the 105th position.
8. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India’s closest neighbours, rank in the bottom 10 of the index. Pakistan and Nepal are ranked lower than North Korea.
Here are the top 10 most powerful passports in the world:
1. Japan, Singapore (192 countries)
2. Germany, South Korea (190 countries)
3. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189 countries)
4. Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden (188 countries)
5. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 countries)
6. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United States (186 countries)
7. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185 countries)
8. Hungary (183 countries)
9. Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia (182 countries)
10. Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia (181 countries)
You can check out the complete list of passports and their ranks on the Henley Passport Index here.
The Henley Passport Index is the oldest passport index that has been ranking countries for 17 years. It is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).