Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (MS)
New Delhi, Jan 11: According to the data published by International Air Transport Association (IATA), a company by the name Henley & Partners has revealed the power of passports of various counties across the globe.
The power of a passport is determined by the number of countries the holder of that passport can visit without a prior visa. India is ranked 84th in the list with 58 countries that can be visited without the need for a prior visa on Indian passport. However, India has dropped two positions down from 82 in 2019 to 84 in 2020. Japan is the top nation in the list with an access of free visa to more than 191 countries in the world.
The list of top ten countries includes in ranking order for one to 10 Japan (1), Singapore (2), Germany and South Korea (3), Finland and Italy (4), Denmark, Luxembourg and Spain (5), France and Sweden (6), Austria, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland (7), Belgium, Greece, Norway, UK and USA (8), Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Malta and New Zealand (9), Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia (10).
The passport of China is more powerful than India and is ranked at 71st position. India is ranked 84th along with countries like Mauritania and Tajikistan. While the passport of Afghanistan is the worst passport in terms of power in the world, that of Pakistan is fourth worst from the bottom.
The 58 countries which allow Indian passport holders free access include Bhutan, Indonesia, Macao, Cambodia, Myanmar, Maldives, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Mauritius etc. Some among these may ask an Indian passport holder to get visa-on-arrival.
The world's worst passport list includes (starting from the bottom) Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Nepal and Palestinian Territory, North Korea and Sudan, Kosovo and Lebanon, Bangladesh, Congo, Eritrea and Iran.