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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business Standard
Indian passport rises in 2025 index. Now, visit 59 visa-free countries
India has recorded its highest-ever jump in the Henley Passport Index, climbing eight places to rank 77th in the 2025 third quarter edition. Indian passport holders now have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 59 destinations, according to the data released last week. The index, compiled using data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), ranks passports by the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. India's latest ranking places it ahead of several neighbouring countries, even as it remains well behind top performers such as Singapore, which holds the number one spot with access to 193 destinations. More access, fewer queues A stronger passport can reduce the need for time-consuming paperwork, particularly for business travellers, students, and frequent fliers. For Indian passport holders, visa-free or visa-on-arrival access means they can enter 59 countries without going through an embassy or paying hefty visa fees upfront. 'It saves both time and money, especially for those travelling on short notice,' said a Mumbai-based travel consultant. 'Travellers avoid agent commissions, documentation hassles, and sometimes long waiting times.' Some of the advantages include: — Fewer embassy appointments and documentation — Lower costs related to visa fees and courier charges — Easier last-minute travel bookings — More spontaneous international layovers and longer stopovers — Better chances at future visa approvals due to improved travel history Visa-free destinations for Indian citizens Indian passport holders can currently travel without a visa to 29 countries, across Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Caribbean. These include: Africa: Angola, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal Asia: Bhutan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Macao, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand Oceania: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, Niue, Vanuatu Caribbean: Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, British Virgin Islands Thailand offers 30-day visa-free entry for Indian passport holders as part of its temporary waiver policy. What is visa-free travel? Visa-free travel allows passport holders to enter a country without applying for a visa in advance. Immigration officials check passports upon arrival and stamp them if required. This process removes the need for lengthy paperwork, consular visits, and sometimes interview appointments. This ease of entry benefits both travellers and host nations. For instance: — Tourism sectors benefit from higher occupancy and demand for services — Local job creation in hospitality and travel-related industries increases — More international events and conferences can be hosted with minimal red tape Countries offering visa-on-arrival to Indian travellers In addition to visa-free travel, Indian citizens can obtain a visa on arrival in several countries. These include: Africa: Burundi, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Seychelles Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Jordan, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Qatar, Sri Lanka Oceania: Marshall Islands, Palau Islands, Samoa, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu South America: Bolivia Caribbean: St. Lucia Seychelles requires a pre-arrival Travel Authorisation rather than a traditional visa. These visas are generally granted at the airport or border and require proof of onward travel, confirmed accommodation, and sufficient funds. Entry duration, fees, and conditions vary by country. India leads global mobility gains India's eight-place rise is the steepest climb recorded by any country in the past six months. Its jump from 85th to 77th position came despite the addition of just two more visa-free destinations. Dr Christian H Kaelin, who developed the passport index concept, said in a press release, this reflects active diplomatic negotiation. 'Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements continue to rise, while the opposite applies to those that are less engaged in such efforts,' he said. Who's falling behind? The UK and US have both slipped in the rankings since January. The UK is now sixth, with access to 186 destinations, while the US is tenth with 182. This marks the first time the US risks dropping out of the Top 10 altogether. Venezuela has recorded the steepest fall over the past decade, down 15 places to 45th. Other downward movers include the US (down 8), Vanuatu (-6), the UK (-5), and Canada (-4). UAE and China fuel passport power shift The UAE has seen the most dramatic rise, up 34 places over the past ten years to enter the Top 10 at number eight. China has also climbed 34 places since 2015, now ranking 60th. While it does not yet have visa-free access to the EU's Schengen Area, China has expanded visa-free entry to over 75 countries — up from fewer than 20 just five years ago. New visa-free access in 2025 includes Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and Latin American nations including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. Asia-Pacific drives global air travel demand China's growing openness aligns with an overall rise in outbound travel from the region. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global air travel demand grew 5.8 per cent in the first five months of 2025. 'Asia-Pacific airlines led the way with 9.5 per cent growth,' said IATA's Director General Willie Walsh. 'In North America, international traffic grew by 1.8 per cent, but domestic travel shrank slightly, making the market flat overall. Forward bookings for summer are strong, showing that confidence is holding up despite global uncertainties.' India's improved passport ranking comes as international travel surges, especially across Asia and the Middle East — and with it, opportunities for Indian citizens are expanding beyond traditional destinations.
The South African
22-07-2025
- The South African
SA passport climbs the ranks – Here's what it means for travellers
South Africa's passport has moved up in the ranks on the latest Henley Passport Index for 2025. Image: canva South Africa's passport power has been bumped up, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which revealed the newest rankings of all of the world's passports for 2025. The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world's passports according to the number of destinations their passport-holders can travel to visa-free. 'With historical data spanning 19 years, the Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.' Henley & Partners says. ADVERTISEMENT SA passport moves up 3 spots According to these rankings, the SA passport has moved up three spots from 51 to 48 on the list of 199 passports. Despite the increased power, the index highlighted that South Africans can still only travel to 103 destinations. The top passports of the world Here is the updated list of the top five most powerful passports: Rank Country Number of visa-free countries 1 Singapore 193 2 Japan 190 2 South Korea 190 3 Denmark 189 3 Finland 189 3 France 189 3 Germany 189 3 Ireland 189 3 Italy 189 3 Spain 189 4 Austria 188 4 Belgium 188 4 Luxembourg 188 4 Netherlands 188 4 Norway 188 4 Portugal 188 4 Sweden 188 5 Greece 187 5 New Zealand 187 5 Switzerland 187 Have you travelled to any of the 103 visa-free destinations for South Africans? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
19-06-2025
- The South African
Passport Index: SA loses access to another visa-free country
South Africa's passport power has decreased yet again, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which revealed the newest rankings of all of the world's passports for 2025. The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world's passports according to the number of destinations their passport-holders can travel to visa-free. 'With historical data spanning 19 years, the Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.' Henley & Partners says. According to these rankings, the SA passport has dropped another spot from 50 to 51 on the list of 199 passports. The index also highlighted that South Africans can now only travel to 103 destinations, after losing visa-free travel access to Nigeria. South Africans travelling to this African nation will now require an e-visa for entry. Here are is the updated list of the top five most powerful passports: Rank Country Number of visa-free countries 1 Singapore 193 2 Japan 190 2 South Korea 190 3 Denmark 189 3 Finland 189 3 France 189 3 Germany 189 3 Ireland 189 3 Italy 189 3 Spain 189 4 Austria 188 4 Belgium 188 4 Luxembourg 188 4 Netherlands 188 4 Norway 188 4 Portugal 188 4 Sweden 188 5 Greece 187 5 New Zealand 187 5 Switzerland 187 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
The world's most powerful passports in 2025, ranked
The Henley Passport Index ranks the most powerful passports in the world for visa-free travel. Singapore is in the top spot with its passport, which allows holders to travel to 193 countries. The US passport can access 182 countries — it's tied for 10th place with two other countries. Thinking of visiting Brazil, Australia, or India with a US passport this summer? Not so fast ... or at least not before securing a visa. Some of the best wonders of the world require US citizens to obtain a visa before takeoff, an inconvenience in planning that long-awaited international getaway. US passport holders can access 182 countries globally without a visa, putting it in 10th place among world passports on the global mobility spectrum, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index. Passports from 33 other countries provide more global mobility than a US passport and two other countries are tied with the US for mobility. The index is a ranking of passports based on how many countries their holders can access without a visa and is based on data from the International Air Transport Authority. Singapore is in the top spot with its passport, which allows holders to travel to 193 countries without first securing a visa. Japan had previously held the No. 1 position but has since fallen to No. 2, joining South Korea with access to 190 countries. Below are the countries with the most powerful passports, ranked by ascending number of visa-free travel options, based on the Henley Passport Index. This ranking is accurate as of May 2025. 10. Lithuania, Iceland, and the United States Passport holders from these countries can visit 182 countries without visas in 2025. Until April, US citizens were able to visit 183 countries visa-free. However, Brazil now requires US citizens to secure a visa before entering the country, dropping US passport holders one spot on the Henley Passport Index. 9. Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia Holders of these passports can visit 183 countries without a visa in 2025. 8. Estonia, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates Travelers can visit 184 countries without a visa in 2025 if they have a passport from Estonia, Canada, or the United Arab Emirates. 7. Australia, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, and Poland Travelers can visit 185 countries without visas in 2025 with a passport from Australia, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, or Poland. 6. United Kingdom Holders of UK passports can visit 186 countries without a visa. 5. Greece, New Zealand, and Switzerland Travelers can visit 187 countries without a visa in 2025 if they have a passport from these countries. 4. Austria, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, and Belgium These passport holders can visit 188 countries without visas. 3. Ireland, Finland, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain These passports give access to 189 countries without a visa. 2. Japan and South Korea Holders of passports from Japan and South Korea can visit 190 countries without a visa. 1. Singapore Travelers can visit 193 countries without a visa in 2025 if they have a passport from Singapore. Zoe Rosenberg contributed to an earlier version of this report. This story was first published in January 2023 and updates were made in January 2024, June 2024, October 2024, March 2025, and May 2025. Read the original article on Business Insider
The South African
12-05-2025
- The South African
SA passport drops lower on Henley Passport Index
South Africa's passport power has decreased yet again, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which revealed the newest rankings of all of the world's passports for 2025. The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world's passports according to the number of destinations their passport-holders can travel to visa-free. 'With historical data spanning 19 years, the Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.' Henley & Partners says. And now, according to these rankings, the SA passport has dropped a further spot from 49, now ranking at number 50 on the list of 199 passports. Despite this, however, the index highlighted that South Africans with an SA passport can still travel to 104 destinations without requiring a visa. Here are is the updated list of the top five most powerful passports: Rank Country Number of visa-free countries 1 Singapore 193 2 Japan 190 2 South Korea 190 3 Denmark 189 3 Finland 189 3 France 189 3 Germany 189 3 Ireland 189 3 Italy 189 3 Spain 189 4 Austria 188 4 Belgium 188 4 Luxembourg 188 4 Netherlands 188 4 Norway 188 4 Portugal 188 4 Sweden 188 5 Greece 187 5 New Zealand 187 5 Switzerland 187 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
