Singapore Claims Top Spot in 2023 Henley Passport Index, Japan Slips to Third Place

Nepal ranks 98 on the list of respective passport strengths of the states. Nepalis have visa free access to 38 transnational destinations. 

The Henley Passport Index for 2023 has brought some interesting changes in the global passport rankings. Japan, which held the top spot for five years, has been surpassed by Singapore, now sitting at No. 1. Singaporean citizens enjoy visa-free access to an impressive 193 out of 227 destinations worldwide. Europe is also making a comeback, with Germany, Italy, and Spain sharing the second position, providing visa-free access to 190 destinations. Japan and South Korea are now tied for the third spot with Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, and Sweden, granting access to 189 destinations without a visa.

The United States and the United Kingdom have experienced a decline in their rankings over the years. The UK, however, has recently improved its position, climbing to No. 4, while the US has dropped further to the eighth spot, with access to only 183 destinations visa-free.

The Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 passports based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is continuously updated to reflect visa policy changes throughout the year.

It's worth noting that the gap in travel freedom between the top and bottom ranked countries has widened significantly. While Singapore leads the pack with 193 visa-free destinations, citizens of Afghanistan can only visit 27 countries without a prior visa, making it the country with the least travel freedom.

In another passport index created by Arton Capital, the United Arab Emirates takes the top spot with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 180. Germany, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and South Korea share the second place.

The best passports to hold in 2023 are:

1. Singapore (192 destinations)
2. Germany, Italy, Spain (190 destinations)
3. Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Sweden (189 destinations)
4. Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, UK (188 destinations)
5. Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland (187 destinations)
6. Australia, Hungary, Poland (186 destinations)
7. Canada, Greece (185 destinations)
8. Lithuania, United States (184 destinations)
9. Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (183 destinations)
10. Estonia, Iceland (182 destinations)

The worst passports to hold are those of:

1. Syria (30 destinations)

2. Iraq (29 destinations)
3. Afghanistan (27 destinations)

Source: CNN/Travel