In a surprising turn of events, Singapore has claimed the top spot in the Henley Passport Index for summer 2023, dethroning Japan from its five-year reign as the No.1 passport holder. The index measures global travel freedom based on visa-free and visa-on-demand access to different destinations around the world.
While Asia has dominated the top positions in the past, Europe is making a strong comeback. Germany, Italy, and Spain now share the second-place position with visa-free access to 190 destinations. Japan and South Korea find themselves in the third slot alongside Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, and Sweden, all with access to 189 destinations without prior visas.
The United States and the United Kingdom have witnessed a decline in their rankings since their joint No.1 position in 2014. However, the UK has shown improvement by hopping two spots to No.4, its highest position since 2017. Meanwhile, the US has dropped two places to the eighth spot, with visa-free access to 183 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports worldwide and is regularly updated based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Over the years, the average number of visa-free destinations for travelers has nearly doubled, from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2023.
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)
On the other hand, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan are at the bottom of the rankings with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 30 or fewer countries. Afghanistan, in particular, has the least travel freedom with access to only 27 destinations without prior visas.
Cristian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, highlights Singapore’s efforts to secure greater travel freedom for its citizens over the past decade, gaining visa-free access to 25 new destinations. He also acknowledges the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for adding an impressive 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013.
