The global passport rankings for 2023 have taken an intriguing turn, ushering in a new leader and highlighting shifts in travel freedom worldwide.
After enjoying five consecutive years in the top spot, Japan has been displaced from its No.1 position in the Henley Passport Index. The new titleholder is Singapore, granting its citizens visa-free access to an impressive 193 out of 227 destinations across the globe.
While Asia has traditionally dominated the leaderboard in the Henley Passport Index, Europe is making a strong resurgence. Germany, Italy, and Spain have advanced to second place, offering their citizens visa-free access to 190 destinations. Additionally, Japan and South Korea now share the No.3 spot with Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, and Sweden. Citizens of these remarkable seven countries can enjoy access to 189 destinations without the need for a prior visa.
The United States and the United Kingdom have experienced a downward trajectory since jointly holding the No.1 spot in 2014. However, the UK shows signs of a promising comeback, leaping two rankings to claim the No.4 position, a position it hasn’t held since 2017. Conversely, the US has dropped another two places, settling at the eighth spot with visa-free access to a mere 183 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 passports globally, derives its data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and undergoes real-time updates throughout the year to reflect changes in visa policies. According to Henley & Partners, the average number of visa-free destinations accessible to travelers has nearly doubled over the 18-year history of the ranking, rising from 58 in 2006 to 109.
However, despite the overall progress, a significant disparity in travel freedom persists between the highest-ranking and lowest-ranking countries. Citizens of Afghanistan face severe limitations, with access to only 27 destinations without a prior visa, closely followed by Iraq (29 destinations) and Syria (30 destinations).
Cristian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, commended Singapore for actively securing greater travel freedom for its citizens over the past decade, which led to their significant increase in visa-free access to 25 new destinations. Kaelin also highlighted the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has impressively added 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013. Conversely, among the top-ranking countries, the US has exhibited the smallest increase, securing only 12 additional destinations.
Greg Lindsay, representing Cornell Tech’s Jacobs Institute, cautioned that the US’s decline in the rankings serves as a warning to neighboring Canada and the wider Anglosphere, emphasizing the importance of continuously striving for progress.
In addition to the Henley Passport Index, various financial firms have created their own passport indexes to evaluate global passports based on the access they provide to their citizens. Arton Capital’s Passport Index, for instance, considers the passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories, excluding territories annexed to other countries. Arton Capital’s Global Passport Power Rank 2023 places the United Arab Emirates in the top position, boasting a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 180. Eleven countries, primarily from Europe, hold second place, while the UK shares the third spot with Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Norway, Poland, Ireland, and New Zealand. The US and Japan find themselves in the fourth position.
The best passports to hold in 2023 are:
1. Singapore (192 destinations)
2. Germany, Italy, Spain (190 destinations)
3. Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Sweden (189)
4. Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, UK (188 destinations)
5. Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland (187 destinations)
6. Australia, Hungary, Poland (186 destinations)
7. Canada, Greece (185 destinations)
8. Lithuania, United States (184 destinations)
9. Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (183 destinations)
10. Estonia, Iceland (182 destinations)
The worst passports to hold:
Three countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 30 or fewer countries. These are:
101. Syria (30 destinations)
102. Iraq (29 destinations)
103. Afghanistan (27 destinations)