Henley & Partners have announced the world’s most (and least) powerful passports for 2023. After analysing exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), they developed the index based on the number of destinations passport holders can access without a prior visa.
This year sees Japan crowned number one for the fifth consecutive year, with Japanese citizens now able to visit 193 destinations out of 227 countries visa-free. South Korean and Singaporean passports are tied for second place with a visa-free score of 192.
A slew of European countries follow this trio of passports, including Germany and Spain, which are tied for third place, boasting a visa-free score of 190 countries worldwide. Finland, Italy and Luxembourg follow in fourth place with a score of 189. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden landed in fifth place, scoring 188.
The UK and US are in 6 and 7 with scores of 187 and 186, nearly a decade after jointly holding the top spot in 2014.
Afghanistan (visa-free score of 27), Iraq (visa-free score of 29) and Syria (visa-free score of 30) remain at the bottom of the Henley Passport Index.
Global travel is at around 75% of pre-pandemic levels and there is no doubt that the top spots will be taking advantage of the freedom their passports provide, travelling to some of the most beautiful places in the world and booking trips to the best places to visit in 2023.
Here are the world’s 10 most powerful passports for 2023:
- Japan (193 locations)
- Singapore, South Korea (192 locations)
- Germany, Spain (190 locations)
- Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189 locations)
- Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188 locations)
- France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 locations)
- Belgium, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States (186 locations)
- Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta (185 locations)
- Hungary, Poland (184 locations)
- Lithuania, Slovakia (183 locations)
