India has been ranked 80th out of 199 countries in a list of the world’s most powerful passports, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index.

The index, published by citizenship and residence consultancy firm Henley and Partners, measures the strength of all the passports around the world based on how many destinations can be accessed by the passport-holders of a specific country without a pre-departure visa.

Indians can travel to 62 countries without a visa.

Last year, India was ranked at 85th place in January, but moved up to 80th place in July.

According to the latest index, India shares the 80th spot with Uzbekistan. India ranks below countries such as Tonga, the Maldives, Uganda and Sierra Leone.

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain have secured the first rank in the passport index this year. Citizens of these six countries can travel to 194 nations without a pre-departure visa.

This is the first time that six countries are sharing the top spot in the ranking.

The weakest passport continues to be that of Afghanistan, which is ranked at 104th place. Afghan citizens can only visit 28 countries without a visa.

According to another passport ranking curated by Arton Capital, the United Arab Emirates has the strongest passport, while France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands share the second position.

The index has listed India at 68th position along with Cape Verde and Tanzania.

Arton Capital determines the strength of a country’s passport based on a mobility score, which takes into account visa-free arrival, visa on arrival and e-visas if issued within three days. It also considers the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index as a tie-breaker.