New Delhi: As “more countries permit Indian passport holders to visit visa free or grant them visa on arrival facility, the rank of the Indian passport on the Henley Passport Index is expected to improve”, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday.

“As per information available on the website www.henleypassportindex.com, the Henley Passport Index ranks all the passports of the world according to the number of countries their holders can travel without a prior visa. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association and lists the countries that can be accessed visa-free, with an electronic visa (e-TA), or with a visa on arrival. According to the Henley Passport Index 2019 available on this website, India is ranked at 82,” the MEA informed Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

“As more countries permit Indian passport holders to visit visa free or grant them visa on arrival facility, the rank of the Indian passport on the Henley Passport Index is expected to improve,” it added.

“Extension of visa on arrival and visa-free entry is a unilateral decision of the receiving country. The government has been continuously liberalising the visa policy with the objective of promoting investments and tourism into India from other countries. The e-visa scheme has been further liberalised to allow business visits and medical treatment in India.