New Delhi: Singapore’s remarkable achievement of holding the number 1 spot for the world’s most powerful passport in a quarterly ranking is awe-inspiring. The Henley Passport Index, tracking global freedoms in 227 countries and territories globally for the last 19 years, has recognised Singapore’s passport as the most powerful, with its citizens enjoying visa-free travel to 195 countries. This data is collected from the exclusive International Air Transport Association (IATA) data.
At number 2, five countries—Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain—hold the spot, and their citizens can enjoy visa-free travel to 192 destinations. At third in the ranking are South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. All these countries have the privilege of seamless tours to 191 destinations.
The United Kingdom shares the fourth position with New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. Both Australia and Portugal hold the fifth position. Surprisingly, the United States has dropped to the eighth place, allowing visa-free access to 186 countries. On the other end of the spectrum, Singapore has reached a record high of 195 in visa-free access. At the same time, Afghanistan’s passport remains the weakest, offering visa-free travel to only 26 countries – the lowest score in the index’s almost two-decade history.
Check here for the complete list here.
Top 10 Most Powerful Passports
Rank: 1
Passport: Singapore
Visa-free score: 195
Rank: 2
Passport: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain
Visa-free score: 192
Rank: 3
Passport: Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden
Visa-free score: 191
Rank: 4
Passport: Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Visa-free score: 190
Rank: 5
Passport: Australia, Portugal
Visa-free score: 189
Rank: 6
Passport: Greece, Poland
Visa-free score: 188
Rank: 7
Passport: Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta
Visa-free score: 187
Rank: 8
Passport: USA
Visa-free score: 186
Rank: 9
Passport: Estonia, Lithuania, United Arab Emirates
Visa-free score: 185
Rank: 10
Passport: Iceland, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia
Visa-free score: 184
Where does India stand?
Rank: 82
Passport: India
Visa-free score: 58
What did the chair of Henley & Partners say?
Christian Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners, highlighted in a statement, “The global average number of destinations travellers can access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, it’s concerning that the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been.”
The magic number of Singapore
The Henley Passport Index is a ranking system that assesses the strength of world passports based on the number of destinations their holders can visit without needing a visa. Under this system, each passport receives 1 point for every destination that allows visa-free entry, a visitor’s permit, a visa on arrival, or an electronic travel authority (ETA).
It is crucial to understand that the Henley Passport Index rankings are not solely based on the number of visa-free destinations. Diplomatic ties between countries also play a significant role. For instance, over the last decade, Singapore’s successful diplomatic efforts led to visa-free access to 25 destinations. In contrast, the United States saw a decrease in visa-free access, gaining entry to fewer destinations than Singapore during the same period. This insight into the role of diplomacy in passport strength is important to understanding the rankings.
Singapore has the most powerful passport in the world, and its citizens can enjoy visa-free travel to 195 countries. In this article, we will look at the top 10 countries with the most powerful passports. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
