Singapore’s passport has reclaimed the top spot as the world’s single most powerful travel document. The Singaporean passport boasts visa-free access to a record 195 global destinations, while last year’s first placeholder Japan now shares the second spot along with four European countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and France, according to the Henley Passport Index for 2024, a ranking based on data from the International Air Transport Association, evaluating the access of 199 passports to 227 travel destinations.
Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, the Netherlands and South Korea all sit at third place, offering passport holders the ability to travel to 190 destinations around the world without a visa.
As for the Greek passport, it sits comfortably at the 6th position, having jumped two spots from last year’s ranking, with visa-free access to 188 countries.
Former passport powerhouse, the U.S. has fallen to eight place, continuing a decade-long downward trajectory. Ten years ago, the U.S. passport shared the top position with the UK, which has also faced a decline but still fares better at number 4.
The Afghani passport remains the weakest in the world, offering visa-free access to just 26 destinations.
- Why is passport power important?
A passport isn’t just a simple identification document – it symbolizes a complex system of visa waiver agreements between nations, a series of longterm commitments in favor of global mobility and financial bonds. There is also a correlation between upholding visa reciprocity and stronger trade relationships, increased foreign investment and economic prosperity. Countries that enjoy higher passport spots tend to foster a more business-friendly environment, focus on developing state-of-the-art infrastructure and promote tourism, in an effort to create an inviting international destination.
- Why do some countries’ passports fall behind on global ranks?
Rigid requirements for visa reciprocity, lagging waits and delays for visa issuances, as well as year-long wait times for visa interviews, and geopolitical elements such as counterterrorism regulations, immigration and border control are just a few of the reasons why a country’s passport power might decline, with all of the above factors solidifying the stagnation of a nation’s openness procedures.
