The latest Henley Passport Index, published on Tuesday, reveals that Singapore has replaced the coveted title of the world’s most powerful passport, ousting Japan from the top spot.
The Singaporean passport now guarantees its holders visa-free access to an impressive 192 out of 227 global destinations. This is not the first time Singapore has reached this significant milestone.
The nation’s passport also secured the top rank in 2021, allowing for visa-free travel to 194 destinations worldwide. That year, Japan came in a close second with access to 193 destinations.
In 2022, Singapore tied with South Korea for the second position, both providing entry to 192 locations without a visa, while Japan led with access to 193 destinations.
However, the latest rankings saw a reshuffling of positions. Japan has now fallen to the third place, providing its citizens with visa-free travel to 189 global destinations.
It shares this position with several countries, including Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden.
Meanwhile, Italy, Germany, and Spain have all made significant strides, tying for the second spot with visa-free access to 190 destinations.
The rankings are based on data released by London-based immigration consultancy Henley & Partners.
On the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan finds itself at the bottom of the list, offering visa-free access to only 27 destinations. Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, and Iraq also feature in the bottom five.
The Henley Passport Index, which has been gathering data for the past 18 years, is constructed using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association.
The index evaluates 199 different passports, updated quarterly, and is widely regarded as a definitive reference tool for global passport power and mobility.
