Japan and Singapore still have most powerful passports in the world, while the UK moves up

Japan and Singapore continue to hold the world’s most powerful passports, a new global ranking has revealed, as their citizens can visit 192 countries visa-free.

The ranking also reveals that Ukraine has a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 143, a ‘record high’ for the country, and now ranks in 34th place, climbing up one spot since January. Russia trails behind in 49th place, with a score of 117, falling from 46th place, which it held earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the UK passport has climbed the ranks from 6th place to 5th with a visa-free score of 187, while the US passport is one step behind in 6th place with a score of 186.

The ranking has been produced by the Henley Passport Index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association. It analyses how many countries a passport holder can enter without a prior visa.

Germany and South Korea remain in second place overall, with passport holders able to travel to 190 destinations without a visa.

Third place is shared between Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain, with their passport holders able to access 189 destinations around the world without having to acquire a visa in advance.

Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the ranking with its nationals only able to access 26 destinations visa-free.

According to The Henley Passport Index, the latest passport ranking shows that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has led to millions of Ukrainians fleeing to neighbouring countries, has had a ‘profound and perhaps irreversible impact on freedom of movement within the region as a new Iron Curtain descends’.

In response to Russia’s actions, the EU and the US closed their airspaces to Russian air carriers, and travel bans were imposed on individual Russian citizens. According to a statement accompanying the 2022 passport index results, such restrictions are ‘effectively condemning the Russian passport to junk status throughout much of the developed world’.

Russia’s sliding position in the ranking is likely to drop even further in the months to come, according to the report’s findings.

Commenting on the ranking, Dr Christian H Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says: ‘As the value of the Russian passport rapidly declines and the world opens its doors to Ukrainians, it is abundantly clear that the passport you hold determines your fate and dramatically impacts the opportunities you have.

‘While it is impossible to predict what the world will look like in the shadow of a new Cold War, the latest index suggests that the divide between Russia and much of the Western world will only increase.’