In a notable development in the quarterly ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, six countries have found themselves in a tie for the top spot in 2024, as per a CNN report.
Citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain now enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to an impressive 194 destinations worldwide – the highest number recorded since inception of the Henley Passport Index 19 years ago.
The Asian nations of Japan and Singapore have dominated the No.1 spot for the past five years, but the new top five is a triumphant rise for Europe.
Finland and Sweden are tied with South Korea in second place – with easy access to 193 destinations –while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands come third (with 192 destinations).
Australia now enjoys access to 189 destinations (up from 188 last quarter), remaining in an equal sixth position (or joint 22nd depending on how you read the rankings).
A report by Times revealed that The United Arab Emirates was the fastest climber over the past decade, jumping to 11th place and offering access to 183 destinations without a visa.
And China, up two spots this year to land in 62nd place, has visa-free access to 85 destinations — almost twice as many as 10 years ago.”
It added that the chairman of immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, Dr. Christian Kaelin, said that while the general trend over the years had been toward greater travel freedom, the gap between those at either end of the list was wider than ever.
See the full list below:
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• Singapore
• Spain
• Finland
• South Korea
• Sweden
• Austria
• Denmark
• Ireland
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Luxembourg
• Norway
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• Greece
• Malta
• Switzerland
• Australia
• Czechia
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Canada
• Hungary
• United States
• Estonia
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Iceland
• United Arab Emirates
• Cyprus
• Liechtenstein
• Malaysia
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Romania
• Monaco
• Chile
• Argentina
• Brazil
• San Marino
• Andorra
• Hong Kong (SAR China)
• Brunei
• Israel
• Barbados
• Mexico
• Bahamas
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Vatican City
• Seychelles
• Uruguay
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Costa Rica
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Mauritius
• Panama
• Grenada
• St. Lucia
• Ukraine
• Paraguay
• Dominica
• Macao (SAR China)
• Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)
• Peru
• Serbia
• Guatemala
• El Salvador
• Columbia
• Honduras
• Solomon Islands
• Samoa
• Nicaragua
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• North Macedonia
• Marshall Islands
• Montenegro
• Venezuela
• Kiribati
• Albania
• Micronesia
• Palau Islands
• Moldova
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Georgia
• Russian Federation
• Türkiye
• Qatar
• South Africa
• Belize
• Kuwait
• Timor-Leste
• Ecuador
• Maldives
• Vanuatu
• Bahrain
• Botswana
• Fiji
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• Nauru
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• China
• Papua New Guinea
• Bolivia
• Thailand
• Belarus
• Suriname
• Lesotho
• Namibia
• eSwatini
• Indonesia
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Malawi
• Dominican Republic
• Kosovo
• Tanzania
• Azerbaijan
• Morocco
• Tunisia
• Zambia
• The Gambia
• Cape Verde Islands
• Philippines
• Uganda
• Armenia
• Sierra Leone
• Ghana
• Rwanda
• Zimbabwe
• Kyrgyzstan
• Cuba
• Benin
• Mongolia
• Mozambique
• India
• Uzbekistan
• Gabon
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Tajikistan
• Burkina Faso
• Madagascar
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Guinea
• Mauritania
• Togo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Senegal
• Niger
• Algeria
• Cambodia
• Guinea-Bissau
• Mali
• Bhutan
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Comoro Islands
• Egypt
• Haiti
• Jordan
• Vietnam
• Angola
• Cameroon
• Congo (Rep)
• Turkmenistan
• Burundi
• Laos
• Liberia
• Djibouti
• Myanmar
• Ethiopia
• Congo (Dem. Rep.)
• South Sudan
• Iran
• Lebanon
• Nigeria
• Sudan
• Eritrea
• Sri Lanka
• Bangladesh
• North Korea
• Libya
• Nepal
• Palestinian Territory
• Somalia
• Yemen
• Pakistan
• Iraq
• Syria
• Afghanistan
