Based on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, the Singapore passport was declared the most powerful in the world, followed by the passports of Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Spain in the second spot. The list was released by London-based Henley Passport Index which annually ranks passports of world nations.
Meanwhile, neither the United States of America or the United Arab Emirates could crack the top-five list. They were ranked 8th and 9th respectively.
India, with its citizens having visa-free entry to 58 countries, was ranked 82nd by the Henley Passport Index alongside Tajikistan and Senegal. Meanwhile, among India's neighbouring states, China ranked 59th alongside Papua New Guinea, Pakistan was at 100 with Yemen while Bangladesh was at 97 with "Palestinian Territory."
Bhutan and Myanmar managed 87th and 92nd spots respectively, the index showed.
CLICK HERE to read Henley Passport Index's July 2024 report.
"The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, giving users the most extensive and reliable information about their global access and mobility. With historical data spanning 19 years and regularly updated expert analysis on the latest shifts in passport power, the index is an invaluable resource for global citizens and the standard reference tool for government policy in this field," the report's introduction said.
Singapore passport became the world's most powerful passport, as it offers visa-free access to 195 countries. The second-placed nations have the same to 192 countries. Passport holders of third-placed Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden have visa-free access to 191 destinations, the list said.
Top 10 | Most powerful passports 2024:
- Singapore (195 places)
- France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain (192)
- Austria, South Korea, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Luxembourg (191)
- UK, New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, , Switzerland (190)
- Australia, Portugal (189)
- Greece, Poland (188)
- Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta (187)
- United States of America (186)
- UAE, Estonia, Lithuania, (185)
- Slovakia, Slovenia, Iceland, Latvia, (184)
