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

For the first time in five years, Japan no longer has the most powerful passport in the world.

In a new global ranking, Singapore tops the list, with its citizens able to visit 192 of 227 countries without a visa.

Germany, Italy and Spain rise to second place, with visa-free access to 190 destinations. Japan has slipped to third place, joining six other countries: Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea and Sweden. Citizens of these countries can all visit 189 destinations without a prior visa.

Meanwhile, after falling down over the past six years, the UK has moved up two places to fourth, a position it last held in 2017. Its citizens – along with those from Ireland, Denmark and the Netherlands – can 188 visit countries visa-free.

The US, on the other hand, continues its decade-long decline in the index, dropping another two places to eighth, with access to 184 countries without visas. The UK and US jointly ranked first on the index in 2014, but have been on a global downward trajectory ever since.

Australia comes in sixth, with visa-free access to 186 countries.

For the first time in five years, Japan no longer has the most powerful passport in the world. Singapore ranks first in a new Henley Passport Index, with its citizens able to visit 192 of 227 countries visa-free

The rankings are compiled by the Henley Passport Index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It analyzes how many countries a passport holder can enter without a prior visa.

Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the index, with a visa-free entry score of just 27, followed by Iraq (29) and Syria (30) – the three weakest passports in the world.

Of the countries in the top 10, the US has seen the smallest increase in its score over the past decade, notes Henley Passport Index, securing visa-free access to just 12 more destinations between 2013 and 2023. Singapore, by comparison, has increased its score by 25, moving it up five places in the ranking over the past 10 years and now ranking number one.

Henley Passport Index also points out that while US passport holders have visa-free access to 184 destinations, the US itself allows only 44 other nationalities through its borders visa-free.

A statement added: “The overall trend throughout the history of the 18-year ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, with the average number of destinations travelers can visit 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 ever before, with Singapore leading the way and accessing 165 more visa-free destinations than Afghanistan.”

The UK, after falling down the last six years, has moved up two places to fourth

The UK, after falling down the last six years, has moved up two places to fourth

The US continues the index's decade-long decline, falling two more places to eighth

The US continues the index’s decade-long decline, falling two more places to eighth

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the Passport Index concept, says only eight countries around the world today have less visa-free access than they did a decade ago, while others have had greater success in securing greater travel freedom for their citizens.

He said: ‘The UAE has added a whopping 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013, resulting in a massive jump of 44 places in the ranking over the past 10 years from 56th to 12th position. This is almost double that of the next biggest climber, Colombia, which has jumped 28 places in the rankings and sits in 37th place.

Ukraine and China are also among the top 10 countries with the most improved rankings over the past decade.

“A strong passport is much more than just a travel document that defines our freedom of movement, it also provides significant financial freedoms in terms of international investment and business opportunities. Global connectivity and access have become indispensable attributes for wealth creation and preservation, and its value will only increase as geopolitical volatility and regional instability increase.”

For more information visit www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index.

THE 2023 HENLEY PASSPORT POWER INDEX GLOBAL RANKING

1 Singapore 192 visa-free countries

2 Germany 190

2 Italy 190

2 Spain 190

3 Austria 189

3Finland 189

3 France 189

3 Japanese 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

5Portugal 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

12Cyprus 179

12 United Arab Emirates 179

13 Bulgaria 176

13Monaco 176

13 Romania 176

14 Croatia 175

15 Chile 174

San Marino 16 172

Andorra 17 170

17 Hong Kong (China SAR) 170

18 Argentina 169

19 Brazil 168

20 Brunei 166

21Barbados 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

29Mauritius 148

Granada 30 146

30 Saint Lucia 146

30 Ukraine 146

31 Macau (China SAR) 144

31 Panama144

31 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) 144

32 Dominica 143

32 Paraguay 143

33 Peru 138

34 Serbia 137

35 Guatemala 135

35 Honduras 135

36El Salvador 134

37 Colombia 133

38 Solomon Islands 132

39 Samoa 131

Tonga 40 129

41 Nicaragua 128

42 Tuvalu 127

43 North Macedonia 125

44 Montenegrin 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 East Timor 95

56 Ecuador 92

57 Maldives 91

58 Botswana 89

58 Fiji 89

58Nauru89

59 Bahrain 88

59 Guiana 88

59 Jamaica 88

60 Oman85

61 Papua New Guinea 83

61 Saudi Arabia 83

62 Namibia 81

63 Bolivia 80

63 China80

64 Belarus 79

64 Lesotho 79

64 Thailand79

65 Surinamese 78

66 eSwatini 77

66 Kazakhstan 77

67 Kenya 76

68Malawi 75

69 Indonesia 73

69Tanzania73

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 Zimbabwean 67

74 Armenia 66

74 Cape Verde Islands 66

74 Philippines 66

75 Ghana65

76 Cuba63

76 Kyrgyzstan 63

76 Mozambique 63

76 Rwanda 63

77 Benin62

77 Mongolia 62

78 Burkina Faso 59

78 Ivory Coast 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 Nigeria 56

82 Cambodia 55

82 Guinea-Bissau 55

82 Mali55

82Vietnam55

83 Algeria 54

83 Central African Republic 54

83 Chad 54

83 Comoros 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 Burma 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

94Kosovo 42

95 Libya 41

95 Sri Lanka 41

96 Bangladesh 40

97 North Korea 39

98Nepal38

98 Palestinian Territory 38

99 Somalia 35

99 Yemen 35

100 Pakistani 33

101 Syria 30

102 Iraq 29

103 Afghanistan 27

Source: Henley passport index