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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