Which ones open the most doors?
The Henley Passport Index , prepared by the consultancy Henley & Partners , classifies the world's passports according to the number of destinations to which their holders can access without a previous visa.
The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world's largest and most accurate database of travel information, and is enhanced by ongoing research by the Henley & Partners Research Department.
According to the Henley Passport Index 2021, Japan has the most powerful passport in the world. This is the third year in a row that it has held this position, either alone or together with Singapore.
How powerful is your passport?
THE MOST POWERFUL PASSPORTS IN THE WORLD
The Japanese passport offers the greatest freedom when traveling, as opens the doors of 191 countries, without the need for a visa.
In second place is Singapore, with a score of 190, position that he also held last year.
In third position, with 189 and without taking into account the temporary restrictions, they tie Germany and South Korea, followed in fourth position by Italy, Finland, Spain and Luxembourg, all with a score of 188.
Denmark and Austria rank fifth, both with 187; while in the sixth position we find a tie at 186 between Sweden, France, Portugal, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Completing the top 10: Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium and New Zealand (in 7th place with 185); Greece, Malta, Czech Republic and Australia (in 8th place with 184); Canada (in 9th place with 183); Y Hungary (in 10th place with 182).
Spain occupies the fourth position in the ranking
THE LEAST POWERFUL PASSPORTS
The last places in the ranking are occupied by Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan , whose passports allow visa-free access to 29, 28 and 26 countries respectively.
The countries of the European Union with the least powerful passport are Croatia and Bulgaria, whose inhabitants can access 171 destinations without a visa.
THE DOMAIN OF THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION
Mobility has been affected globally in a world transformed by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The dominance of the Asia Pacific (APAC) countries in the index now seems firmly established: Singapore in second place followed by South Korea in third and further down but still in the top 10, New Zealand (7th) and Australia (8th).
“The rise of APAC countries in the Henley Passport Index rankings is a relatively new phenomenon” explains the report. During the 16-year history of the index, the first places were traditionally occupied by the countries of the European Union, the United Kingdom or the United States.
"The power of the passport in a world upended by the pandemic"
Experts suggest that the strong position of the APAC region will continue, as includes some of the first countries to start and recover from the pandemic.
“With the United States and the United Kingdom still facing challenges related to the virus, the strength of both countries' passports continues to steadily erode and the balance of power is shifting.
In the last seven years, the US passport has dropped from number 1 to 7 , a position it currently shares with the UK.
Due to pandemic-related travel limitations, travelers from both the UK and the US are currently facing restrictions important in more than 105 countries. Thus, US passport holders can travel to fewer than 75 destinations, while UK passport holders currently have access to fewer than 70.
MOBILITY AND PANDEMIC
The Dr. Christian H. Kaelin , chairman of Henley & Partners and inventor of the passport index concept, says the latest classification provides an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary turmoil that characterized 2020.
“Just a year ago everything indicated that global mobility rates would continue to rise, that travel freedom would increase and that powerful passport holders would enjoy more access than ever before,” Kaelin says.
And he continues: “the global lockdown nullified these glowing projections and, as restrictions start to ease, the results of the latest index are a reminder of what the power of the passport really means in a world upended by the pandemic.”
With the first vaccine approved just over a month ago, airline industry experts believe that compulsory vaccination before air travel could soon be a necessity.
A timed technological innovation scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2021 that will contribute to restoring global mobility is IATA's Travel Pass initiative, a mobile app that allows travelers to store and manage their verified certifications for Covid-19 tests or vaccinations.
THE HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX
The tool developed by Henley & Partners allows See on a map the countries that you can access with your passport without the need for a visa and those that do require a visa.
You can too compare your passport with those of other countries and even see how to improve your situation in the event that you have an additional passport.
You can view the full 2021 Henley Passport Index** ranking here.**