Passports around the world are ranked by the Passport Index firm based on how powerful they are how many countries you can travel to with them. The website of the firm lists details about passports from all countries of the world. The country list is based on the 193 members of United Nations and other six territories which belong to other countries.
The Mobility Score of passports is decided on the basis of how many countries the passport holder can visit without a visa (visa free) or get a visa on arrival. Indian passport holders can visit 16 countries without a visa, and 33 countries with visa-on-arrival facility which includes Iran, Indonesia and Myanmar.
As per a Rajya Sabha comment from Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, 36 countries offer e-visa facility to Indian passport holders as well, including Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Malaysia.
The 16 countries Indian passport holders can travel to with no visa requirements include Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius, and Haiti. Check out the full list below.
Most powerful passports in the world
In 2020, Japan and New Zealand have the most powerful passports in the world, with passport holders being able to travel to 126 countries visa-free or with visa on arrival.
With a mobility score of 125, the second spot is shared by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, South Korea and Luxembourg.
France, Italy, Sweden, Italy and Spain share the third spot with a score of 124. The Indian passport ranks at the 53rd spot.
The Covid-19 pandemic has reduced mobility across the world to a great extent which is why the US and the UK are not present among the top three spots.
16 visa-free countries you can travel to with an Indian passport
1. Barbados
2. Bhutan
3. Dominica
4. Grenada
5. Haiti
6. Hong Kong SAR
7. Maldives
8. Mauritius
9. Montserrat
10. Nepal
11. Niue Island
12. Samoa
13. Senegal
14. Trinidad and Tobago
15. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
16. Serbia
33 countries with visa-on-arrival for Indian passport holders
1. Bahrain
2. Bolivia
3. Cape Verde
4. Comoros
5. Djibouti
6. Ethiopia
7. Gabon
8. Guinea
9. Guinea-Bissau
10. Iran
11. Kenya
12. Lesotho
13. Madagascar
14. Malawi
15. Maldives
16. Mauritania
17. Mozambique
18. Myanmar
19. Nigeria
20. Palau
21. Rwanda
22. Saint Lucia
23. Samoa
24. Seychelles
25. Sierra Leone
26. Somalia
27. Suriname
28. Tanzania
29. Togo
30. Tuvalu
31. Uganda
32. Uzbekistan
33. Zimbabwe