Henley Passport Index 2023: Visa free countries on Indian Passport

Planning an international trip often involves dealing with visa applications, which can be time-consuming and complex. However, there's good news for Indian travellers as several countries don't require a visa for Indians, and some offer convenient visa-on-arrival options, saving time and effort. 

Your passport plays a crucial role in travel, serving as proof of identity and citizenship; after all, a visa is a stamp placed on the passport by authorities of foreign countries. Recently, the Henley Passport Index ranked India at 80th globally, with access to 57 countries visa-free. 

Singapore now holds the top spot, making it the most powerful passport in the world, while Japan has slipped from its previous ranking. So, having a powerful passport grants you hassle-free access to various nations, making your travel experiences more convenient and enjoyable. Want to know more about powerful passports, India's rank in Henley Passport Index & visa-free nations for India?

Questions based on this might strike your question papers of which current affairs forms a crucial part. So, let's get started with this article.

Henley Passport Index 2023: What is this Index?

The Indian passport is ranked at 80th place in the Henley Passport Index as of February 2023. Indian passport holders can travel to 57 countries without a visa.

Coming at What is Henley Passport Index? Henley Passport Index is a global ranking published annually that measures the power & strength of passports from different countries based on the number of destinations their holders can access visa-free or with visa-on-arrival. It gives insights into the level of freedom that passport holders enjoy.

10 most powerful passports in the world in 2023

Advantages of Visa-free countries

1. Ease of Travel: Without the need to apply and wait for a visa, Indian passport holders can enter the visa-free country for short stays, be it for tourism, business, or transit etc.

2. Boost to Tourism: Visa-free access can lead to an increase in tourism from India to the visa-free country, thus, generating revenue.

3. Enhanced Business Opportunities: It facilitates business travel and cooperation between India and the visa-free nation such as Indian entrepreneurs, investors, etc., can easily visit

4. Strengthened Diplomatic Relations: Visa-free agreements signify strong bonds and friendly relations between countries. 

5. Potential for Educational Opportunities: For students, visa-free access can simplify exploring educational opportunities in the visa-free country such as attending conferences etc. gets easy.

List of Visa-Free Countries for India in 2023

These are the countries with free visa for India or countries we can visit without visa.

1 Barbados

2 Bhutan

3 Bolivia

4 British Virgin Islands

5 Burundi

6 Cambodia

7 Cape Verde Islands

8 Comoro Islands

9 Cook Islands

10 Djibouti 

11 Dominica

12 El Salvador

13 Fiji

14 Gabon

15 Grenada

16 Guinea-Bissau

17 Haiti

18 Indonesia 

19 Iran 

20 Jamaica

21 Jordan 

22 Kazakhstan

23 Laos

24 Macao (SAR China)

25 Madagascar 

26 Maldives

27 Marshall Islands 

28 Mauritania 

29 Mauritius

30 Micronesia

31 Montserrat

32 Mozambique 

33 Myanmar 

34 Nepal

35 Niue

36 Oman

37 Palau Islands

38 Qatar

39 Rwanda 

40 Samoa 

41 Senegal

42 Seychelles 

43 Sierra Leone 

44 Somalia

45 Sri Lanka 

46 St. Kitts and Nevis

47 St. Lucia 

48 St. Vincent

49 Tanzania 

50 Thailand 

51 Timor-Leste 

52 Togo 

53 Trinidad and Tobago

54 Tunisia

55 Tuvalu

56 Vanuatu

57 Zimbabwe

The least powerful passport

It seems very easy to speculate that Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is the least powerful passport, at 103rd place. This country's passport is valid for visa-free entry into 27 countries. Pakistan is ranked poorly at 100th. Syria is 101st, while Iraq is a place above Afghanistan at 102nd place.    

Competitive Exam Questions on Henley Passport Index 2023

1. Singapore now holds the title of the world’s most powerful passport, granting visa-free access to ________ out of 227 global travel destinations.

a. 190

b. 189

c. 192

d. 225

2. With which two countries India currently share the 80th position on the Henley Passport Index 2023?

a. Togo 

b. Senegal

c. Sweden

d. Both a and b

3. Which of these countries have the least powerful passport as of 2023?

a. Iceland

b. Afghanistan

c. Iran

d. Pakistan

4. The Henley Passport Index ranked India at 80th globally, with access to how many visa-free countries?

a. 50

b. 55

c. 57

d. 59

5. Which of these grants the holder permission to enter and stay in that specific country for a certain purpose and duration and are issued by the diplomatic missions (embassies or consulates) of the country the traveller intends to visit?

a. Passport

b. Visa

c. Aadhaar

d. OCI Card

Answers:

1.c, 2.d, 3.b, 4.c, 5.b