LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-3889
ANSWERED ON- 11/08/2023
HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX
3889. SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY
SHRI KOMATI REDDY VENKAT REDDY
SHRI KANUMURU RAGHU RAMA KRISHNA RAJU
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-
(a) whether India has climbed seven places on the Henley Passport Index, 2023 to the 80th rank from 87 last year, though the number of countries allowing visa free access to Indian passport holders remains unchanged and if so the details thereof compared to 2014 onwards to till date; and
(b) whether the Government is taking/proposes to take steps for improving situation in future and if so the details thereof including discussions held and their outcome till now?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)
(a & b) There are certain private institutions which publish such Passport rankings based on parameters decided by them.
Extension of Visa free entry, Visa-on-Arrival and e-Visa are sovereign decisions of the receiving country. The Government has been continually making efforts to increase number of countries that may provide Visa free travel, Visa-on-Arrival and e-Visa facilities to Indian nationals. As on date, there are 16 countries which provide Visa-free entry to Indian passport holders, 40 countries provide Visa-on-Arrival facility and 47 countries provide e-Visa facility to Indian Passport holders.
While issuance of visa and visa related process is a sovereign decision of the respective country, the matter regarding easier and liberalized visa policy, including e-Visa scheme, for foreign nationals depends on several factors, including the principle of reciprocity.
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