India’s position on the Henley Passport Index for 2024 has experienced a slight decline, slipping to 85th place compared to the previous year’s 84th position. Despite this, Indian passport holders still enjoy visa-free access to 62 countries, a slight increase from the 60 countries in 2023. This includes nations such as Bhutan, Bolivia, Cambodia, El Salvador, and Fiji, among others (“India slips to 85th position on Henley Passport Index for 2024”).
This drop marks a continuation of a trend, as India had previously climbed to the 81st ranking in 2018 before experiencing a consistent decline thereafter. The current standings on the index see France leading the list, offering its citizens access to 194 visa-free destinations. Other top-ranking countries include Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain (“India slips to 85th position on Henley Passport Index for 2024”).
In sixth place, countries like the USA, Canada, Czechia, and Poland provide their citizens with visa-free access to 189 countries. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, and Luxembourg share the third rank, enabling their citizens to travel visa-free to 192 destinations. Notably, Maldives has secured the 58th position, with access to 96 visa-free destinations, while China maintains its position at 64th place (“India slips to 85th position on Henley Passport Index for 2024”).
The Henley Passport Index, which compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations, relies on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), spanning 19 years. This data is updated monthly, making the index a standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states alike when evaluating the global mobility spectrum (“India slips to 85th position on Henley Passport Index for 2024”).
