Singapore has reclaimed its top spot in the Henley Passport Index’s quarterly ranking of the world’s most powerful passports. Citizens of this city-state enjoy visa-free access to 195 out of 227 destinations worldwide, surpassing all other countries.
Japan takes second place with 193 destinations, regaining visa-free access to neighboring China for the first time since the Covid-19 lockdowns. The EU member states of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain follow at No. 3, along with Finland and South Korea, with access to 192 destinations without prior visas.
The European Union’s Schengen area plays a significant role in this ranking, as seven EU countries occupy the fourth spot, each having visa-free access to 191 destinations.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Afghanistan remains at No. 106, with visa-free access to just 26 destinations. The mobility gap between the top and bottom countries has never been wider.
Other notable climbers include China, which jumped from 94th place in 2015 to No. 60 in 2025, and the UAE, which secured an additional 72 destinations since 2015, allowing it to climb 32 places to 10th spot with visa-free access to 185 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index is one of several passports indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports according to their citizens’ travel freedoms. The latest rankings highlight the importance of citizenship and its impact on mobility in a rapidly changing world.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/08/travel/worlds-most-powerful-passports-for-2025/index.html