The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the freedom of travel allowed to their citizens by that country's common passport.

New Delhi: In a remarkable achievement, India has scored big and is now ranked 82nd in the Global Passport Index, allowing Indians visa-free entry to 58 countries, including popular destinations like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. According to the latest ranking of the UK-based Henley Passport Index, India's passport is now at a revised 82nd position.

This ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the freedom of travel allowed to their citizens by that country's common passport. Singapore topped the Passport Index and regained its title as the world's most powerful passport in the latest ranking.

“The city-state also set a new record score, with its citizens now enjoying visa-free access to 195 out of 227 travel destinations worldwide. France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain have slipped to joint-second place, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations,” according to the index. An unprecedented seven-nation group, each with prior visa-free access to 191 destinations — Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden — now ranks third.

The UK ranks fourth with Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, despite its visa-free destination score falling to 190. has dropped to 8th place, with visa-free access to only 186 destinations,” the index said.

According to IATA, in 2024 airlines will connect nearly 5 billion people on 22,000 routes on 39 million flights, and air cargo transported will reach 62 million tons, generating $8.3 trillion in trade. “Our industry is expected to reach nearly $1 trillion in revenue this year. Spending, however, will be a record high of $936 billion. The net gain would be $30.5 billion,” said IATA Director General, Willie Walsh. The UAE made the top 10 for the first time, adding 152 destinations since the index's inception in 2006 to its current visa-free score of 185.

List of countries where Indians can travel visa-free:

1. Angola
2. Barbados
3. Bhutan
4. Bolivia
5. British Virgin Islands
6. Burundi
7. Cambodia
8. Cape Verde Islands
9. Comoro Islands
10. Cook Islands
11. Djibouti
12. Dominica
13. Ethiopia
14. Fiji
15. Grenada
16. Guinea-Bissau
17. Haiti
18. Indonesia
19. Iran
20. Jamaica
21. Jordan
22. Kazakhstan
23. Kenya
24. Kiribati
25. Laos
26. Macao (SAR China)
27. Madagascar
28. Malaysia
29. Maldives
30. Marshall Islands
31. Mauritania
32. Mauritius
33. Micronesia
34. Montserrat
35. Mozambique
36. Myanmar
37. Nepal
38. New
39. Palau Islands
40. Qatar
41. Rwanda
42. Samoa
43. Senegal
44. Seychelles
45. Sierra Leone
46. ​​Somalia
47. Sri Lanka
48. St. Kitts and Nevis
49. St. Lucia
50. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
51. Tanzania
52. Thailand
53. Timor-Leste
54. Trinidad and Tobago
55. Tunisia
56. Tuvalu
57. Vanuatu
58. Zimbabwe