Singapore tops the latest Henley Passport Index, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 192 destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index released on July 21.
The city-state held on to the top ranking from the previous index published in January. The UAE recorded the biggest improvement in the latest rankings, climbing three places to share second position with Japan and South Korea, with access to 188 destinations.
Sweden ranked third with access to 187 destinations, while Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain were tied for fourth with 186 destinations. Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Switzerland shared fifth place with access to 185 destinations, followed by Hungary, Poland and the UK in sixth. Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and four European countries were jointly ranked seventh.
At the opposite end of the rankings, Afghanistan remained the world’s weakest passport, providing access to just 22 destinations. That is two fewer than in January, widening the mobility gap with Singapore to a record 170 destinations.
Henley & Partners said the long-term growth in global travel freedom has come despite a 12th consecutive year of declining global peacefulness, according to the latest Global Peace Index by the Institute for Economics & Peace.
Singapore ranks eighth on the Global Peace Index while topping the Henley Passport Index. Japan, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Canada, Czechia and Malaysia also perform strongly on both measures. By contrast, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen rank among the world’s least peaceful countries and have the weakest passports, while Israel, the US, South Korea, Ukraine and Russia are notable exceptions, ranking higher for passport strength than for peacefulness.
Christian H Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index, said: “The world’s strongest passports belong to nations that other countries want as partners – for trade, investment, security or cooperation. Mobility is ultimately a measure of the value other countries place on their relationship with you.”
The Henley Passport Index is published twice a year and ranks 199 passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without obtaining a visa in advance. It uses official travel data maintained by the International Air Transport Association to assess global visa requirements.
