Global passport rankings: Singapore leads the pack
The latest ranking released by the Henley Passport Index recognized the Singaporean passport as the world’s most powerful, offering visa-free entry to an impressive 195 countries.
Following Singapore, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Japan are tied in second place, each granting access to 192 destinations. The third position is shared by Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden, with visa-free access to 191 countries.
United States falls to eighth place
In a surprising shift, the United States has fallen to eighth place, providing visa-free travel to 186 countries. The United Kingdom shares the fourth spot with New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. Australia and Portugal hold the fifth position, while Greece and Poland are in sixth place with access to 188 destinations. Canada, Czechia, Hungary, and Malta are in seventh place, offering entry to 187 countries.
South Asian countries and global standings
India’s passport is at the 82nd spot, allowing Indians visa-free entry to 58 countries. India’s neighboring country, Pakistan, ranks 100th, with its passport holders allowed to travel to 33 countries without a visa. At the bottom of the list is Afghanistan, with easy access to just 26 destinations.
Top 10 most powerful passports for 2024
- Singapore (195 destinations)
- France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain (192 destinations)
- Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden (191 destinations)
- Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom (190 destinations)
- Australia, Portugal (189 destinations)
- Greece, Poland (188 destinations)
- Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta (187 destinations)
- United States (186 destinations)
- Estonia, Lithuania, United Arab Emirates (185 destinations)
- Iceland, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (184 destinations)
Growing global mobility gap
Christian Kaelin, chair of Henley and Partners, emphasized the widening disparity in global mobility. “The global average number of destinations travelers can access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been,” he said in a statement.
For the past 19 years, the Henley Passport Index has been a key resource in tracking global travel freedoms across 227 countries and territories. Utilizing exclusive data from the IATA, it provides a real-time, interactive tool to display, sort, and rank the world’s passports based on visa-free access. The index is updated throughout the year as visa policies change.
You can check the full list here