Holding a passport from Singapore or Japan is quite powerful in 2022. The two countries are tied for first place on the quarterly Henley Passport Index’s list of most powerful passports.
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Most Powerful Passports
Singapore and Japan top the just-released list for the fifth consecutive year. Both Asian countries allow passport holders to enter 192 countries without first obtaining a visa. Germany and South Korea are tied for a close second, allowing access to 190 countries visa-free.
Here is a look at the rest of the most powerful passports based on the number of countries they allow passport holders to access without a visa.
- Singapore, Japan (192)
- Germany, South Korea (190)
- Finland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg (189)
- France, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark (188)
- Ireland, Portugal (187)
- United States of America, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom (186)
- Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185)
- Hungary, Poland (183)
- Lithuania, Slovakia (182)
- Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia (181)
The United States actually moved up one spot in this latest list. Also making moves in 2022 are Poland, Hungary, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Worst Passports
As with previous years, Afghanistan scores at the bottom, making it the least powerful passport in the world. Afghan passport holders can only travel to 26 destinations visa-free. Iraq (28), Syria (29), Pakistan (31), and Yemen (33) also rank very low.
Other Rankings
The Henley Passport Index uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and combines it with its own research to generate the yearly list based on travelers’ access to other countries. It’s important to note that the Henley Passport Index does not take into account current travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another passport indicator, the Global Passport Index, also looks at mobility when developing its list, but also takes into account investment potential, and quality of life, among other factors. It ranks passports in each individual component (i.e. Sweden is on top when it comes to quality of life), but with all the factors combined, the United States is first due to its advantageous economic market and high investment opportunities. Germany, Canada, Netherlands, and Denmark make up the rest of the top 5 on the Global Passport Index list.
If you are ready to travel this year and looking for ideas, check out the best places to travel in 2022!