Indian passport slipped six ranks on the Passport Index 2023 released by financial advisory services firm Arton Capital. As compared to the 138th rank out of 199 countries in 2022, India ranked 144 with a mobility score of 70 in 2023.
The ranking was topped by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a mobility score of 181. It was followed by Sweden, Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria, with a joint mobility score of 174.
The sharp fall in India’s ranking has been attributed to the change in European Union’s policy. Several nations, like Serbia, have been under pressure to introduce visa requirements for Indian nationals.
South Korea had the highest score of 174 in South Asia and ranked 12th on the list. Japan, with a score of 172, ranked 26th. Almost all the other Asian countries saw a fall in their rankings.