Henley Passport Index – 2020 has been released

Japan tops in holding strongest passport and India scores 84th rank

• Henley Passport Index was launched based on the data collected from International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Around 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations were considered to launch the index
• Asian countries dominate in the top ranks, as Japan tops in holding strongest passport an India has been ranked 84th

Key highlights of the Index – 2020

• The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations
• Japan has been topping the Index for three straight years; according to the 2020 index and its citizens are able to access 191 destinations without having to obtain a visa in advance
• Singapore, in second place (same as in 2019), has a visa-free or visa-on-arrival score of 190
• Germany is No. 3 (same position as in 2019), with access to 189 destinations; it shares this position with South Korea, which dropped from the second place it held a year ago
• The US and the UK have been falling consistently over successive Indices
• Both countries are in eighth place in 2020 – a significant decline from the No. 1 spot they jointly held in 2015
• The Index’s historic success story remains the steady ascent of the UAE, which has climbed a remarkable 47 places over the past 10 years and now sits in 18th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 171
• Twenty of the 58 visa-free access destinations in the 2020 list are in Africa and 11 each in Asia and the Caribbean
• Serbia is the only European country to which Indian passport holders can travel visa-free
• There is no major or developed country to which Indian passport holders have visa-free access
• The top 10 most powerful passports this year are ranked in this order: Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg and Denmark
• The Indian passport has slipped to 84th, whereas it had been ranked at 71 way back in 2006

The status of Indian Passport in the Index – 2020

• According to the annual Henley Passport Index, India’s rank hit a decadal high of 74 in 2013
• Between 2014 and 2015, India slipped 12 places, from 76 to 88
• Its present rank of 86 represents a five place decline from 81 last year
• As of today, India nationals can travel to 58 countries with a pre-approved visa, lower than that of war-torn countries like Colombia (124)
• Moreover, India ranks below other BRICS countries, with which are at a similar stage in their economic development

What is “Henley Passport Index”?

• The Henley Passport Index is the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa
• The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information, and enhanced by the Henley & Partners Research Department
• With expert commentary and historical data spanning 15 years, the Henley Passport Index is an invaluable resource for global citizens and the standard reference tool for governments in this field

What is “International Air Transport Association (IATA)”?

• It is a trade association of the world’s airlines consisting of 290 airlines, primarily major carriers, representing 117 countries
• The member airlines account for carrying approximately 82% of total available seat miles air traffic
• IATA supports airline activity and helps formulate industry policy and standards
• It is headquartered in Canada in the city of Montréal, with Executive Offices in Geneva, Switzerland

Pic courtesy : New Indian Express