While the travel industry continues to stay on hold due to the rising Covid-19 cases in India and across the world, Indian Passport has gotten stronger since 2021. The Indian Passport ranks 83rd in the Henley Passport Index after it climbed up 7 positions in 2021, from its earlier 90th ranking. The Henley Passport Index collects data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to reveal the average number of countries a passport holder of a particular country can visit. Read on to know more about these rankings.
Japan & Singapore Have World’s Strongest Passports
According to the Henley Passport Index, the strongest passports in the world belong to Japan and Singapore. With both these passports, travellers can visit a whopping 192 destinations without a prior visa. But this number doesn’t involve the current Covid-19 travel restrictions. In a report by Times Of India, this index reveals that any individual can visit an average number of 107 countries without a prior visa. Passport holders from countries like Japan, Singapore and the USA can visit 180 countries on the same parameter.
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Here’s a list of the most powerful passports in the world-
1. Japan & Singapore (Score: 192)
2. Germany & South Korea (Score:190)
3. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg & Spain (Score: 189)
4. Austria, Denmark, France & Netherlands (Score: 188)
5. Ireland and Portugal (Score: 187)
6. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States (Score:186)
7. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece and Malta (Score:185)
8. Hungary and Poland (Score:184)
9. Lithuania and Slovakia (Score:182)
10. Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia (Score:181)
Indian Passport Grew Stronger & Climbed Up 7 Places Since 2021
Indian passport became stronger, climbing up 7 spots in the ranking. From the 90th rank in 2021, the passport currently stands at the 83rd position. So Indian passport holders can now travel to 60 countries without a prior visa. Last year, this number stood at 58. Oman and Armenia are the latest two countries where Indian passport holders can travel without a prior visa. In 2020, India ranked 84th and in 2016 it ranked 85th with countries like Uzbekistan and Mali. These rankings for the first quarter of 2022 is indeed a welcome move for Indian passport holders. Indians can travel visa-free to these countries.
Meanwhile, here’s a video of India’s unusual museums.