Over the last five years, the world has changed a lot. A global pandemic ground much of the global population to a halt with travel the most restricted it’s ever been in my lifetime – and most likely yours too. Russia’s war on Ukraine and now Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza are causing shockwaves around the world, reshaping the statuses of countries and the rights of their citizens.
With 2024 now underway, the annual results of the Henley Passport Index provide insight into the world’s global power players, and the impact and legacy of the wars and the pandemic. It also gives us a tantalizing look at what lies ahead. Based on exclusive data from the world’s largest database of travel information, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), supported by serious in-house research, it ranks all 199 global passports according to the number of destinations holders can visit without needing a visa in advance.
Passport power rankings
Towards the end of 2023, Japan lost its spot at the top of the passport ranking for the first time in five years, overtaken by Singapore. As 2024 dawned, that lead changed again. This time however, an unprecedented six countries now share the top spot with visa-free access to a record-breaking number of destinations.
Four EU member states—France, Germany, Italy and Spain—join Singapore and a resurgent Japan in boasting the most powerful passports in the world, with their citizens able to visit an astonishing 194 destinations out of 227 around the globe visa-free.
Asia and Europe continue to dominate the index as we move down the list. Second place is shared by South Korea, Finland and Sweden with visa-free travel to 193 destinations. Just behind with 192 destinations are Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The UK sees a slight improvement from last year with visa free access to three more countries, taking it to 191 and fourth place, shared with Luxembourg, Portugal and Norway. The U.S. too has reversed its fortunes after a decade of decline, climbing one spot to seventh place with travel to 188 destinations without the need for a visa, the same as Canada and Hungary. Both the UK and U.S. are still toiling far below where they were a decade ago, when they dominated the global ranking in joint first position.
Still propping up the bottom of the index is Afghanistan in 104th position with visa-free travel to just 28 destinations, just behind Syria and Iraq. While chairman of Henley & Partners, Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, points to the general trend over the history of the 19-year-old ranking being towards greater travel freedom, he notes that the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than ever. “The average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, as we enter the new year, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan.”
Passport Index climbers and fallers
Over the past decade no country has climbed higher up the index than the UAE. From a 2014 ranking of 55th it has added 106 visa-free destinations to its passport, leaping 44 places to 11th with access to 183 destinations.
Other big climbers are Ukraine and China, gaining 21 places each over the past decade. Ukraine is now 32nd with 148 visa-free destinations and China is 62nd with access to 85 destinations, both up two spots on last year. While Russia has improved 24 destinations over the past decade, its visa-free score and ranking has barely shifted since 2017, and it now sits in 51st place with access to 119 destinations.
Key global mobility and migration trends in 2024
Looking ahead into 2024, the mantra seems to be: brace yourself for more uncertainty. Rector for the Institute of Human Sciences in Vienna, Misha Glenny notes that, “In 2024, 40 countries making up over 50% of global GDP will undergo decisive elections, including the U.S. and several other major powers. Political trends point to a lack of geopolitical coordination heightening the risk of prospective shocks to an already precarious economic environment. The general trend, however, remains steady. A decline in American and European influence and a jostling for power among the Asian big boys.”
In the Middle East, Dr. Robert Mogielnicki, a Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, says despite the “devastating effects” of the Israel–Hamas conflict, governments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region hope to continue the economic momentum of 2023 in the year ahead. “The GCC has agreed to establish a Schengen-like visa system, enabling tourists to travel seamlessly throughout the region. While more work on implementation needs to be done throughout 2024, the planned enhancements to regional mobility will produce positive spillovers to the smaller Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. The GCC’s Unified Tourist Visa project serves as an important example of subregional integration and connectivity — a process that would be extremely difficult to replicate across the broader Middle East and North Africa.”
The Top Ten World’s Most Powerful Passports
There are now 34 countries occupying the top ten places listed below. Or take a look at the full ranking.
1. France: 194
1. Germany: 194
1. Spain: 194
1. Italy: 194
1. Japan: 194
1. Singapore: 194
2. South Korea: 193
2. Finland: 193
2. Sweden: 193
3. Austria: 192
3. Denmark: 192
3. Netherlands: 192
3. Ireland: 192
4. Luxembourg: 191
4. Portugal: 191
4. United Kingdom: 191
4. Norway: 191
4. Belgium: 191
5. Greece: 190
5. Malta: 190
5. Switzerland: 190
6. Czechia: 189
6. Australia: 189
6. New Zealand: 189
6. Poland: 189
7. United States: 188
7. Canada: 188
7. Hungary: 188
8. Lithuania: 187
8. Estonia: 187
9. Latvia: 186
9. Slovakia: 186
9. Slovenia: 186
10. Iceland: 185
