Business
Which countries have the most powerful passports?
Japan’s five-year reign as the leader of the Henley Passport Index, which gauges global travel freedom based on visa-free and visa-on-demand access, has come to an end in the summer of 2023. Singapore has now taken the top spot, granting its citizens visa-free entry to 193 out of 227 destinations worldwide.
While Asian nations have historically dominated this index by Henley & Partners, a London-based advisory firm specializing in global citizenship and residence, Europe is making a resurgence. Germany, Italy, and Spain have climbed to second place, offering visa-free access to 190 destinations. Japan and South Korea share the third spot with Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, and Sweden, providing access to 189 destinations without prior visas.
The United States and the United Kingdom have seen their rankings decline since jointly holding the top spot in 2014. The UK, however, has recently made a positive shift, rising to fourth place, a position it last held in 2017. In contrast, the US has dropped two more places to the eighth position, with visa-free access to only 183 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 passports globally, relies on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is updated in real time to reflect changes in visa policies. Over the history of this 18-year-old ranking, the average number of visa-free destinations for travelers has nearly doubled, from 58 in 2006 to 109.
Yet, the gap in travel freedom between the top and bottom of the rankings has widened significantly. Citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria have the most limited access, being able to visit only 27, 29, and 30 destinations respectively without prior visas.
Cristian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, highlights Singapore’s efforts to enhance its citizens’ travel freedom, having gained visa-free access to 25 new destinations over the past decade. He contrasts this with the UAE, which has added an impressive 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013. In comparison, the US has secured only 12 additional destinations.
Greg Lindsay, from Cornell Tech’s Jacobs Institute, warns that the US’s downward trajectory signals a cautionary tale. The declining ranking serves as a message not only to Canada but also to other English-speaking countries. Henley & Partners’ index is just one of several such rankings created by financial institutions to evaluate global passports based on their citizens’ access.
Arton Capital’s Passport Index considers passports from 193 United Nations member countries and six territories. These territories include Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong, Kosovo, the Palestinian territories, and the Vatican, excluding territories annexed to other countries.
This index is also updated in real time, and its data is collected by closely monitoring individual government portals. Arton Capital’s Passport Index for 2023 places the United Arab Emirates at the top, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 180.
Eleven countries, mostly in Europe, share the second spot, including Germany, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and South Korea. The UK ties for third place with Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Norway, Poland, Ireland, and New Zealand. The US and Japan are ranked fourth.
The most desirable passports to possess in 2023 are as follows:
- Singapore (192 destinations)
- Germany, Italy, Spain (190 destinations)
- Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Sweden (189 destinations)
- Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, UK (188 destinations)
- Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland (187 destinations)
- Australia, Hungary, Poland (186 destinations)
- Canada, Greece (185 destinations)
- Lithuania, United States (184 destinations)
- Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (183 destinations)
- Estonia, Iceland (182 destinations)
