Japan Loses Top Spot in World Passport Rankings to Singapore
In a surprising turn of events, Japan has been dethroned from its position as the top-ranked passport in the world. For the past five years, Japan had held the number one spot in the Henley Passport Index, which measures the freedom to travel based on visa-free and visa-on-demand access for citizens. However, Singapore has now claimed the title, with its citizens enjoying the ability to visit 193 destinations without a visa out of a total of 227 worldwide.
While Asia has historically dominated the top of the leaderboard, Europe is making a comeback. Germany, Italy, and Spain now share the second-place position, with visa-free access to 190 destinations. Japan and South Korea, alongside Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, and Sweden, are tied for third place, with their citizens having access to 189 destinations without a prior visa.
The United States and the United Kingdom, once at the forefront of the rankings, have been steadily declining. The UK, however, has managed to climb up two places to fourth position, a position it hasn’t held since 2017. On the other hand, the US dropped two places to eighth, with access to only 183 visa-free destinations.
The Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 passports globally, takes into account data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is regularly updated to reflect changes in visa policies. According to Henley & Partners, the average number of destinations accessible without a visa has nearly doubled over the index’s 18-year history.
Despite this overall increase in travel freedom, there remains a significant gap between countries at the top and bottom of the rankings. Citizens of Afghanistan have the least travel freedom, with only 27 destinations accessible without a visa, followed by Iraq (29 destinations) and Syria (30 destinations).
Cristian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, highlights Singapore’s efforts to provide more travel freedom for its citizens. He also notes that the United Arab Emirates has shown significant improvement, adding 107 destinations to its visa waiver score in the past decade.
Experts raised concerns about the United States‘ decline in the rankings, with implications for neighboring Canada and the rest of the Anglosphere. This trend reflects a need for countries to adapt and maintain global mobility.
The Henley & Partners list is one among several indices ranking global passports based on their citizens’ travel access. Arton Capital’s passport index, for instance, includes passports from 193 UN member countries and six territories. The United Arab Emirates currently tops this list, with a score of 180 visa-free/visa-on-arrival countries.
In conclusion, Singapore now holds the top spot in the world passport rankings, signaling a shift in travel freedom. While Asia previously dominated these rankings, European countries are making a comeback. The United States and the United Kingdom, on the other hand, have experienced declines, highlighting the need for countries to adapt to changing global dynamics.