Singapore now has the most powerful passport in the world, with Japan bumped from first to third, the UK moving UP to fourth and the U.S slipping to eighth
- Singaporeans can visit 192 countries out of 227 visa-free
- Britons can visit 188 and Americans 184 countries without a prior visa
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For the first time in five years, Japan no longer has the world’s most powerful passport.
In a new global ranking, Singapore takes the top spot, with its citizens able to visit 192 countries out of 227 visa-free.
Germany, Italy and Spain move up into second place, with visa-free access to 190 destinations. Japan has been bumped into third place, a slot it occupies with six other nations – Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden. Citizens of these countries can all visit 189 destinations without a prior visa.
The UK, meanwhile, after sliding down the table over the previous six years, has jumped up two places to fourth place, a position it last held in 2017. Its citizens – along with those from Ireland, Denmark and the Netherlands – can visit 188 countries visa-free.
The U.S, on the other hand, continues its now decade-long slide down the index, slipping a further two places to eighth, with access to 184 countries visa-free. The UK and the U.S jointly held first place on the index in 2014, but have been on a broadly downward trajectory ever since.
For the first time in five years, Japan no longer has the world’s most powerful passport. In a new Henley Passport Index, Singapore takes the top spot, with its citizens able to visit 192 countries out of 227 visa-free
The ranking has been produced by the Henley Passport Index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (Iata). It analyses how many countries a passport holder can enter without a prior visa.
Afghanistan remains entrenched at the bottom of the index, with a visa-free access score of just 27, followed by Iraq (29), and Syria (30) – the three weakest passports in the world.
Of the countries sitting in the top 10, the U.S has seen the smallest increase in its score over the past decade, Henley Passport Index notes, securing visa-free access to just 12 additional destinations between 2013 and 2023. Singapore, by comparison, has increased its score by 25, pushing it five places up the ranking over the past 10 years to the number one spot.
Henley Passport Index also points out that while American passport holders can access 184 destinations visa-free, the U.S itself only allows 44 other nationalities to pass through its borders visa-free.
A statement added: ‘The general trend over the history of the 18-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, with the average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2023. However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been, with top-ranked Singapore able to access 165 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan.’
The UK, after sliding down the table over the previous six years, has jumped up two places to fourth place
The U.S continues its now decade-long slide down the index, slipping a further two places to eighth
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says only eight countries worldwide have less visa-free access today than they did a decade ago, while others have been more successful in securing greater travel freedom for their citizens.
He said: ‘The UAE has added an impressive 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013, resulting in a massive leap of 44 places in the ranking over the past 10 years from 56th to 12th position. This is almost double the next biggest climber, Colombia, which has enjoyed a jump of 28 places in the ranking to sit in 37th spot.
‘Ukraine and China are also among the top 10 countries with the most improved rankings over the past decade.
‘Far more than just a travel document that defines our freedom of movement, a strong passport also provides significant financial freedoms in terms of international investment and business opportunities. Global connectivity and access have become indispensable features of wealth creation and preservation, and its value will only grow as geopolitical volatility and regional instability increase.’
For more information, visit www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index.
THE HENLEY PASSPORT POWER INDEX GLOBAL RANKING 2023
1 Singapore 192 visa-free countries
2 Germany 190
2 Italy 190
2 Spain 190
3 Austria 189
3 Finland 189
3 France 189
3 Japan 189
3 Luxembourg 189
3 South Korea 189
3 Sweden 189
4 Denmark 188
4 Ireland 188
4 Netherlands 188
4 United Kingdom 188
5 Belgium 187
5 Czech Republic 187
5 Malta 187
5 New Zealand 187
5 Norway 187
5 Portugal 187
5 Switzerland 187
6 Australia 186
6 Hungary 186
6 Poland 186
7 Canada 185
7 Greece 185
8 Lithuania 184
8 United States 184
9 Latvia 183
9 Slovakia 183
9 Slovenia 183
10 Estonia 182
10 Iceland 182
11 Liechtenstein 180
11 Malaysia 180
12 Cyprus 179
12 United Arab Emirates 179
13 Bulgaria 176
13 Monaco 176
13 Romania 176
14 Croatia 175
15 Chile 174
16 San Marino 172
17 Andorra 170
17 Hong Kong (SAR China) 170
18 Argentina 169
19 Brazil 168
20 Brunei 166
21 Barbados 163
22 Israel 158
22 Mexico 158
23 Bahamas 156
24 Seychelles 155
24 St. Kitts and Nevis 155
25 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 154
25 Vatican City 154
26 Uruguay 153
27 Costa Rica 151
28 Antigua and Barbuda 150
28 Trinidad and Tobago 150
29 Mauritius 148
30 Grenada 146
30 St. Lucia 146
30 Ukraine 146
31 Macao (SAR China) 144
31 Panama 144
31 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) 144
32 Dominica 143
32 Paraguay 143
33 Peru 138
34 Serbia 137
35 Guatemala 135
35 Honduras 135
36 El Salvador 134
37 Colombia 133
38 Solomon Islands 132
39 Samoa 131
40 Tonga 129
41 Nicaragua 128
42 Tuvalu 127
43 North Macedonia 125
44 Montenegro 124
44 Venezuela 124
45 Kiribati 123
45 Marshall Islands 123
46 Micronesia 121
46 Moldova 121
46 Palau Islands 121
47 Bosnia and Herzegovina 118
48 Albania 117
48 Georgia 117
49 Russian Federation 115
50 Turkey 114
51 South Africa 106
52 Qatar 103
53 Belize 102
54 Kuwait 99
54 Vanuatu 99
55 Timor-Leste 95
56 Ecuador 92
57 Maldives 91
58 Botswana 89
58 Fiji 89
58 Nauru 89
59 Bahrain 88
59 Guyana 88
59 Jamaica 88
60 Oman 85
61 Papua New Guinea 83
61 Saudi Arabia 83
62 Namibia 81
63 Bolivia 80
63 China 80
64 Belarus 79
64 Lesotho 79
64 Thailand 79
65 Suriname 78
66 eSwatini 77
66 Kazakhstan 77
67 Kenya 76
68 Malawi 75
69 Indonesia 73
69 Tanzania 73
70 Tunisia 71
70 Zambia 71
71 Dominican Republic 70
71 The Gambia 70
72 Azerbaijan 69
72 Uganda 69
73 Morocco 67
73 Sierra Leone 67
73 Zimbabwe 67
74 Armenia 66
74 Cape Verde Islands 66
74 Philippines 66
75 Ghana 65
76 Cuba 63
76 Kyrgyzstan 63
76 Mozambique 63
76 Rwanda 63
77 Benin 62
77 Mongolia 62
78 Burkina Faso 59
78 Cote d’Ivoire 59
78 Gabon 59
78 Mauritania 59
78 Sao Tome and Principe 59
78 Tajikistan 59
78 Uzbekistan 59
79 Guinea 58
79 Madagascar 58
80 India 57
80 Senegal 57
80 Togo 57
81 Equatorial Guinea 56
81 Niger 56
82 Cambodia 55
82 Guinea-Bissau 55
82 Mali 55
82 Vietnam 55
83 Algeria 54
83 Central African Republic 54
83 Chad 54
83 Comoro Islands 54
83 Egypt 54
84 Bhutan 53
84 Jordan 53
85 Angola 52
85 Cameroon 52
86 Burundi 51
86 Congo (Rep.) 51
86 Haiti 51
86 Liberia 51
87 Laos 50
87 Turkmenistan 50
88 Djibouti 49
89 Ethiopia 47
89 Myanmar 47
90 Nigeria 46
90 South Sudan 46
91 Congo (Dem. Rep.) 45
92 Eritrea 44
92 Iran 44
92 Sudan 44
93 Lebanon 43
94 Kosovo 42
95 Libya 41
95 Sri Lanka 41
96 Bangladesh 40
97 North Korea 39
98 Nepal 38
98 Palestinian Territory 38
99 Somalia 35
99 Yemen 35
100 Pakistan 33
101 Syria 30
102 Iraq 29
103 Afghanistan 27
Source: Henley Passport Index
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