Passport holders from some countries can visit more than 190 destinations worldwide without a visa.
The Henley Passport Index, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), ranks passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without the need for a visa. The latest ranking for the most powerful passports in 2023 has been released this week and, for the fifth year running, Japan comes out on top. Japanese citizens can visit 193 destinations – out of 227 – worldwide visa-free; South Korea and Singapore are tied second (192 destinations), with Germany and Spain joint third (190 destinations).
Global travel is back at around 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, say Henley & Partners, the company behind the passport index. But for citizens from some countries, it’s more difficult than ever to journey outside their homelands: the index’s lowest-ranking countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, are shut out of a wide breadth of travel opportunities.
1. Japan (193 visa-free score)
2. Singapore / South Korea (192)
3. Germany / Spain (190)
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189)
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188)
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187)
7. Belgium, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States (186)
8. Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta (185)
9. Hungary, Poland (183)
10. Lithuania, Slovakia (182)
100. Congo (Dem. Rep.), Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Sudan (42 visa-free score)
101. Bangladesh, Kosovo, Libya (41)
102. North Korea (40)
103. Nepal, Palestinian Territory (38)
104. Somalia (35)
105. Yemen (34)
106. Pakistan (32)
107. Syria (30)
108. Iraq (29)
109. Afghanistan (27)
There is a direct link between passport strength and economic power: the study by Henley reveals that 6 per cent of passports worldwide give their holders visa-free access to more than 70 per cent of the global economy. The Japanese passport gives visa-free access to 85 per cent of countries that account for 98 per cent of the worldwide economy. In contrast, the Nigerian passport at the lower end of the index provides visa-free access to countries which account for just 1.5 per cent of global GDP.
