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The Passport Index has yet again revealed the ranking of all the passports of the nations across the world. This index ranks passports according to the number of countries their holders can visit without applying for a visa. It looks at the passports of 193 United Nations members and six territories.
The ranking secured by each country is influenced by various factors including mobility score, visa requirements, electronic authorization and world openness score.
As per the ranking, New Zealand has emerged as the most powerful travel document worldwide. Earlier, Japan shared the top position with New Zealand. However, it has now slipped back to the second position, with New Zealand passport leading the country and region list. Currently, New Zealand has visa-free access or visa on entry to 129 countries and regions.
The other countries that are sharing the second spot with Japan include Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Australia. The third spot is shared by Sweden, France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, and Finland whereas India ranks 58th on the list. The Indian passport shares its rank with Algeria, Jordan, Benin, and Gabon.
Besides, the US passport has dropped to the 21st in the ranking due to the poor handling of COVID-19 and the fact that not many countries and regions welcome US travellers.
Also, European countries manage to be in the top 10 list majorly, because most retain access to the Schengen ‘free movement’ zone with few COVID-19 restrictions.
