Six countries tie for world's most powerful passports in 2024
The 2024 Henley Passport Index has announced a historic six-way tie for the world's most powerful passport. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain now share the top spot, as their citizens get visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 194 destinations worldwide. This is the highest number since the index started tracking global travel freedoms 19 years ago. India ranks at 80th position with visa-free access to 62 countries.
European nations rise in rankings
Finland, South Korea, and Sweden are tied for second place with access to 193 destinations. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands rank third with access to 192 destinations. The United Kingdom has moved up two spots to join Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal in fourth place with access to 191 countries. The United States remains in seventh place alongside Canada and Hungary, offering citizens visa-free access to 188 destinations.
UAE emerges as the biggest climber; widening mobility gap
Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made the most significant climb on the index, adding 106 destinations to its visa-free score since 2014 and securing the 11th position this year. Dr. Christian H Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and inventor of the passport index concept, said that while travel freedom has generally increased over the past two decades, the global mobility gap between top and bottom-ranked countries is now wider than ever.
Average visa-free access nearly doubles since 2006
Kaelin pointed out that the average number of destinations travelers can access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, he added that top-ranked countries can now travel to 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa. Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen also rank among the least powerful passports.
Arton Capital's Passport Index offers alternative rankings
Arton Capital's Passport Index, another ranking system that considers passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories, places the UAE at the top spot with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 180. Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands hold second place, while Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Austria, and Switzerland rank third. The UK and the US are positioned in fifth and sixth place respectively in this index.
