Top 10 most powerful passports in 2023; How does India rank?

A passport is the most essential document for international travel. However, some passports are more powerful than others in that they allow visa-free entry for their citizens to numerous nations, in contrast to countries with weak passports, which restrict mobility, as the people of those countries would require visas to enter the maximum number of countries across the world. The following are some countries with powerful passports in 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index.

It should come as no surprise that Japan holds the most powerful passport in the world; a feat achieved by the Asian powerhouse for five consecutive years. Japanese citizens can visit 193 destinations out of 227, comprising 85 percent of the world, without visas, according to information provided by the International Air Transport Association and collated by Henley & Partners.

Singapore and South Korea trail Japan by a fine margin, as citizens of both countries can visit 192 countries in the world without a visa. The 3rd place is tied between Germany and Spain with visa-free entry into 190 countries; followed by Luxembourg, Finland, and Italy, which occupy the 4th spot with access to 189 nations. There are four nations occupying the 5th place, viz., Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden, with entry into 188 countries; followed by Belgium, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States in the 6th place, with entry into 186 countries.

India is in the 85th spot on the list. The Indian passport provides visa-free access to 59 countries.

Here is a chart with the top countries in the world with the most powerful passports.

At the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan ranks as the country with the least powerful passport, providing access to only 27 countries, holding the bottommost rank of 109, according to the Index. 

The following is a list of countries with the weakest passports.

Iraq holds the penultimate rank with entry to 29 countries, preceded by Syrians and Pakistanis, who can travel to 30 and 32 countries without visas, respectively. Some of the other nations with the weakest passports include Yemen, Somalia, Palestine, Nepal, North Korea, Libya, Kosovo, and Bangladesh.