Sri Lanka’s passport slips in Henley Passport Index 2024 rankings

Sri Lanka’s passport slipped one rank in the Henley Passport Index 2024, landing at 96th place, according to the latest rankings released by Henley and Partners.

The Henley Passport Index, considered the most authoritative ranking of global passports, assesses the number of destinations their holders can access without prior visas. With data covering 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, it provides comprehensive information on global access and mobility.

Sri Lanka shares the 96th spot with Eritrea and a visa-free score of 43. Despite the slip in position, it is still an improvement from its rankings of 103rd in 2022 and 107th in 2021.

The top spot in the index is held by France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, with a visa-free score of 194, making them the world’s most powerful passports. Finland, South Korea, and Sweden follow closely with a score of 193. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands share the third position with a score of 192.

Regionally, India maintains its 80th position in the index, granting its passport holders visa-free access to 62 destinations. The Maldives ranks 58th, Bhutan 87th, Bangladesh 97th, Nepal retains its 98th spot, and Pakistan stands at 101st place.

At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan remains in the last position (104) with a visa-free access score of 28, accompanied by Syria at 103 and Iraq at 102, marking them as the countries with the weakest passports globally.