New Delhi: India's ranking on the Henley Passport Index, which captures the strength of a country's passport, has slipped one rank down from last year to secure 85th position. However, visa-free travel for Indians has gone up from 60 to 62 in the last one year.

French passport, which provides visa-free travel to 194 countries, has been ranked top spot. Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain grabbed the top spots after France.

The strength of a country's passport is a significant metric to measure its soft power. A strong passport allows citizens to freely travel across the globe without requiring a visa.

India's neighbours Pakistan and Bangladesh have been ranked 106 and 102 respectively. While Pakistan's spot on the index remained unchanged from the last year, Bangladesh's slipped by a notch from 101 to 102. Interestingly, India's maritime neighbour, Maldives, with visa-free access to 96 countries, secured 56th position on the index.

China, on the other hand, has seen a marginal improvement over its last year's ranking, for its rank has gone up from 66 in 2023 to 64 this year. The United States too has bettered its performance by grabbing the sixth position on the index compared to its last year's seventh position.

The Henley Passport Index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that covers 199 different passports and 227 travel destinations around the world over the last 19 years. The index is updated monthly and is used as a global standard for citizens of independent countries.

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