This Country Just Took Top Spot for the Most Powerful Passport in the World
Japan is no longer No. 1.
Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
Singapore has the most powerful passport in the world, knocking Japan off the top of the list for the first time in five years.
The Southeast Asian country, which took the top spot on the Henley Passport Index this week, has visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227 around the world. Singapore was previously tied for second place with South Korea.
Japan, which had held the top spot on the list for five consecutive years, fell to third place with visa-free access to 189 destinations. Japan tied with Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden.
“Far more than just a travel document that defines our freedom of movement, a strong passport also provides significant financial freedoms in terms of international investment and business opportunities,” Christian H. Kaelin, the chairman of Henley & Partners, said in a statement. “Global connectivity and access have become indispensable features of wealth creation and preservation, and its value will only grow as geopolitical volatility and regional instability increase.”
A trio of European countries — Germany, Italy, and Spain — all moved up to No. 2 on the list, while the United Kingdom came in at fourth place.
The United States came in at No. 8 on the list (tied with Lithuania) with visa-free access to 184 destinations. That was less than its previous ranking earlier this year of No. 7 when the U.S. had visa-free access to 186 destinations and on par with its eighth-place ranking in 2020.
On the other end of the list was Afghanistan, which came in last and whose passport holders can only visit 27 destinations visa-free.
When it comes to applying for or renewing a passport in the U.S., travelers are encouraged to act fast since the State Department has experienced increased wait times. As a result, the State Department is holding a series of “Special Passport Acceptance Fairs” for new passport applicants at public libraries, recreation centers, and local city administrative offices across the country.
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