We take a look at the world’s most powerful passports based on the ease with which you can enter foreign countries

Japan has been named the world’s most powerful passport in 2020, beating Singapore in second place and Germany and South Korea in third.

The Henley Passport Index uses data from the International Air Transport Authority to measure how many destinations a passport-holder can enter without a prior visa. It analyses 199 different passports and 227 travel destinations to produce what is considered the most authoritative ranking of its kind.

10 Best passports

1. Japan: 191 destinations

2. Singapore: 190

3. Germany: 189

3. South Korea: 189

4. Finland: 188

4. Italy: 188

5. Denmark: 187

5. Luxembourg: 187

5. Spain: 187

6. France: 186

6. Sweden: 186

10 Worst passports

100. North Korea: 39 destinations

100. Sudan: 39

101. Nepal: 38

101. Palestinian Territory: 38

102. Libya: 37

103. Yemen: 33

104. Pakistan: 32

104. Somalia: 32

105. Syria: 29

106. Iraq: 28

107. Afghanistan: 26

Key findings

With 15 years of historical data, the Henley Passport Index allows us to analyse not just current rankings but long-term shifts and trends.

In 2020, Japan has taken the top spot for the third consecutive year, allowing easy access to 191 destinations. Meanwhile, Singapore has held onto second place with 190 destinations.

The UK and US continue their downward trend from sixth place to eighth, a significant drop from 2015 when they jointly held the top spot.

The UAE remains the index’s biggest success story, climbing 47 places over the last decade to 18th place and now allows easy access to 171 destinations.

Former Soviet spaces have fared well with Georgia and Ukraine climbing a respective 19 and 22 places over the past decade.

Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the index with easy access to only 26 destinations. Soberingly, it’s the largest gap between the most and least powerful passports in the index’s 15-year history with Japanese nationals able to access 165 more destinations than the citizens of Afghanistan.

Most powerful passports: complete ranking

According to researchers at Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh, there is a strong positive correlation between travel freedom and other kinds of liberties – from the economic to the political, and even individual or human freedoms.

With this in mind, it’s interesting to look at not just the very top and bottom of the ranking, but the vast swathe in the middle. Below, is the complete index, listing passports alongside the number of destinations they can easily access.

Rank Passport Score 1 Japan 191 2 Singapore 190 3 Germany 189 South Korea 189 4 Finland 188 Italy 188 5 Denmark 187 Luxembourg 187 Spain 187 6 France 186 Sweden 186 7 Austria 185 Ireland 185 Netherlands 185 Portugal 185 Switzerland 185 8 Belgium 184 Greece 184 Norway 184 United Kingdom 184 United States 184 9 Australia 183 Canada 183 Czech Republic 183 Malta 183 New Zealand 183 10 Hungary 181 Lithuania 181 Slovakia 181 11 Iceland 180 Latvia 180 Slovenia 180 12 Estonia 179 13 Liechtenstein 178 Malaysia 178 14 Poland 176 15 Monaco 175 16 Chile 174 Cyprus 174 17 Romania 172 18 Bulgaria 171 United Arab Emirates 171 19 Argentina 170 Brazil 170 20 Croatia 169 Hong Kong (SAR China) 169 21 San Marino 168 22 Andorra 167 23 Brunei 166 24 Barbados 160 25 Israel 159 26 Mexico 158 27 Bahamas 154 St Kitts and Nevis 154 28 Uruguay 153 29 Seychelles 151 30 Antigua and Barbuda 150 31 Costa Rica 149 31 Trinidad and Tobago 149 31 Vatican City 149 32 Mauritius 146 32 St Vincent and the Grenadines 146 32 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) 146 33 St Lucia 145 34 Macao (SAR China) 144 35 Grenada 142 35 Paraguay 142 36 Panama 140 37 Dominica 139 38 Peru 135 39 El Salvador 133 39 Honduras 133 39 Serbia 133 40 Guatemala 132 40 Venezuela 132 41 Samoa 131 41 Solomon Islands 131 42 Vanuatu 130 43 Nicaragua 128 43 Ukraine 128 44 Colombia 127 44 Tuvalu 127 45 Tonga 125 46 Montenegro 124 47 North Macedonia 123 48 Kiribati 122 48 Marshall Islands 122 49 Moldova 120 50 Palau Islands 119 51 Micronesia 118 51 Russian Federation 118 52 Bosnia and Herzegovina 117 53 Georgia 116 54 Albania 114 55 Turkey 111 56 Belize 100 56 South Africa 100 57 Kuwait 95 57 Timor-Leste 95 58 Qatar 93 59 Ecuador 91 60 Fiji 88 60 Guyana 88 60 Nauru 88 61 Jamaica 85 61 Maldives 85 62 Botswana 84 62 Papua New Guinea 84 63 Bahrain 82 64 Oman 79 65 Bolivia 78 65 Suriname 78 65 Thailand 78 66 Saudi Arabia 77 67 Kazakhstan 76 67 Namibia 76 68 Belarus 75 69 Lesotho 74 70 eSwatini 73 71 Malawi 72 72 China 71 72 Indonesia 71 72 Kenya 71 73 Tanzania 70 Zambia 70 74 Tunisia 69 75 Gambia 68 76 Azerbaijan 67 Philippines 67 77 Cape Verde Islands 66 Uganda 66 78 Cuba 65 Ghana 65 79 Dominican Republic 64 Zimbabwe 64 80 Kyrgyzstan 63 Morocco 63 Sierra Leone 63 81 Armenia 62 Benin 62 Mongolia 62 82 Mozambique 61 Sao Tome and Principe 61 83 Burkina Faso 59 Rwanda 59 84 India 58 Mauritania 58 Tajikistan 58 85 Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 57 Uzbekistan 57 86 Gabon 56 Senegal 56 87 Guinea 55 Togo 55 88 Cambodia 54 Madagascar 54 Mali 54 Niger 54 Vietnam 54 89 Bhutan 53 Chad 53 Comores Islands 53 Equatorial Guinea 53 Guinea-Bissau 53 90 Turkmenistan 52 91 Central African Republic 51 Jordan 51 92 Algeria 50 Laos 50 93 Angola 49 Burundi 49 Cameroon 49 Egypt 49 Haiti 49 Liberia 49 94 Congo (Rep) 47 Myanmar 47 95 Djibouti 46 Nigeria 46 96 Ethiopia 43 South Sudan 43 97 Sri Lanka 42 98 Bangladesh 41 Congo (Dem Rep) 41 Eritrea 41 Iran 41 99 Kosovo 40 Lebanon 40 100 North Korea 39 Sudan 39 101 Nepal 38 Palestinian Territory 38 102 Libya 37 103 Yemen 33 104 Pakistan 32 Somalia 32 105 Syria 29 106 Iraq 28 107 Afghanistan 26

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