Singapore Passport Tops Henley Passport Index 2023 as World’s Most Powerful: Singapore now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to the Henley Passport Index, enabling visa-free entry to 192 of 227 worldwide travel destinations. Three European countries, namely Germany, Italy, and Spain, have moved up one rank to share the second position, with visa-free access to 190 destinations. For the first time in five years, Japan has been dethroned from the top spot and now ranks third, with its passport providing visa-free access to 189 destinations.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
India’s ranking in Henley Passport Index
India has advanced significantly in the Henley Passport Index, moving up 5 ranks from the previous year. It is now ranked 80th on the ranking, alongside Togo and Senegal. Indian passport holders now enjoy visa-free access to 57 countries, reflecting the country’s enhanced global travel privileges.
Overview of the Henley Passport Index
- The United States, which was once the top-ranked country in the Henley Passport Index, has now dropped to eighth place. It shares this distinction with Lithuania, both of which provide visa-free travel to 184 destinations.
- On the other hand, the United Kingdom has made significant progress, jumping two places to claim the fourth spot in the index. British passport holders can now access 188 countries without a visa, a position they last held in 2017.
- On the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan is ranked last, with passport holders having visa-free entry to only 27 places. Just above Afghanistan are Iraq with a score of 29 and Syria with 30, making them the three weakest passports in the world.
- The influx of migrants into Singapore, driven by a crackdown on private enterprise in China and concerns over geopolitical tensions, has resulted in increased citizenship grants in the nation. Approximately 23,100 people were granted Singaporean citizenship last year.
Passports of these countries hold the top 10 spots on the Henley Index:
| Rank | Country | Visa-free travel to (out of 277 nations) |
| 1 | Singapore | 192 |
| 2 | Germany, Italy, Spain | 190 |
| 3 | Austria, Finland, France, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Sweden | 189 |
| 4 | Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, UK | 188 |
| 5 | Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland | 187 |
| 6 | Australia, Hungary, Poland | 186 |
| 7 | Canada, Greece | 185 |
| 8 | Lithuania, US | 184 |
| 9 | Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia | 183 |
| 10 | Estonia, Iceland | 182 |
Passports of these countries hold the bottom 10 spots on the Henley Index:
| Rank | Country | Visa-free travel to (out of 277 nations) |
| 103 | Afghanistan | 27 |
| 102 | Iraq | 29 |
| 101 | Syria | 30 |
| 100 | Pakistan | 33 |
| 99 | Yemen, Somalia | 35 |
| 98 | Palestinian territory, Nepal | 38 |
| 97 | North Korea | 39 |
| 96 | Bangladesh | 40 |
| 95 | Sri Lanka, Libya | 41 |
| 94 | Kosovo | 42 |
About the Henley Passport Index
Invented nearly 20 years ago by Dr Christian H Kaelin, Chairman, Henley & Partners, the index is based on the exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It is the original ranking of all the passports according to the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa. It’s worth noting that the Henley Passport Index relies on data from the International Air Transport Association to calculate its rankings. This index’s methodology differs from those of other passport rankings, such as the one released by financial advisory Arton Capital, which ranked the United Arab Emirates first last year.
