Syllabus:
GS2: Important International institutions, agencies, and fora- their structure, mandate.
Context:
Recently, the Henley Passport Index 2025 was released in which India has climbed eight places to 77th rank from 85 last year.
Key Findings
- According to the most recent data, Singapore’s passport remains the most powerful in the world, granting visa-free access to 193 of 227 locations.
- Saudi Arabia made the largest gain in the latest update, adding four new visa-free destinations since January and now allowing travel to 91 countries.
- At the bottom of the Index, Afghanistan remains in last place at rank 99, offering its citizens visa-free access to only 25 destinations, one fewer than at the beginning of the year.
- Syria follows at 98th with access to 27 countries, and Iraq ranks 97th, with access to just 30 destinations.
- This creates a stark mobility gap of 168 destinations between the world’s most powerful and weakest passports, underscoring the vast inequality in global travel freedom.
India:
- India has recorded its biggest-ever rise in the ranking of the world’s most powerful passports.
- In the latest quarterly update of the Henley Passport Index, India climbed eight spots to rank 77th, up from 85th last year.
- The number of destinations Indian passport holders can now visit visa-free or with a visa-on-arrival has increased marginally to 59 from 57.
- The Philippines and Sri Lanka are the two countries that have been added to the list of visa-free destinations.
Asia:
- Asian nations dominate the top of the Henley Index: Singapore holds the number one spot in overall ranking, offering visa-free travel to 193 destinations.
- Japan and South Korea are tied for second, each granting access to 190 countries.
- China has climbed a remarkable 34 places since 2015, from 94th to 60th, though it still lacks visa-free access to the Schengen Area in Europe.
- Popular Asian tourist hotspots such as Malaysia, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Thailand are among the countries offering visa-free entry, while Macau and Myanmar provide visa-on-arrival access.
- The Philippines and Sri Lanka are the two countries that have been added to the list of visa-free destinations.
European Nations:
- Seven European countries are Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, share the third spot with 189 destinations.
- Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden share the 4th place, while New Zealand, Greece, and Switzerland are tied for 5th.
- Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta and Poland are tied at No. 7, while Canada, Estonia and the United Arab Emirates are at No. 8.
With reference to the USA and UK:
- Traditionally powerful passports like those of the United States and the United Kingdom have seen a gradual decline: The UK has dropped to 6th place with access to 186 destinations, down from 5th.
- The US passport has slipped to 10th, offering entry to 182 destinations, a drop from 9th position.
- Both countries have previously topped the index, the UK in 2015 and the US in 2014, but have seen waning influence as other nations increase their bilateral agreements and travel privileges.
Henley Passport Index
- The Index is created by the London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners. The Henley Passport Index is a globally respected ranking of passports.
- The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 countries based on the number of destinations their citizens can travel to without a prior visa.
- The index is compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is updated quarterly.