Sure, there are some places where it’s easy to gain citizenship – and plenty of countries now offering digital nomad visas – but having a powerful passport can’t hurt, can it?
Every quarter, the Henley Passport Index uses International Air Transport Association data to rank which passports are the most powerful – specifically, which can grant you the highest number of visa-free entries.
Japan has again claimed the top spot, but this year the island nation is joined by Singapore, Spain, France, Germany and Italy. Each passport respectively means entry to a whopping 194 locations, sans visa.
South Korea maintains its position in second place, this year joined by Finland and Sweden, with 193 locations. The UK ranks in fourth, and the US in seventh – 2024 marks 10 years since these two tied for the top spot.
And finally, much like last year, Afghanistan remains the country with the weakest passport, which only grants holders entry into 28 countries.
Here are the top rankings, with the number of visa-free countries each passport will get you into:
- France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (194)
- Finland, South Korea, Sweden (193)
- Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (192)
- Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom (191)
- Greece, Malta, Switzerland (190)
- Australia, Czechia (also known as the Czech Republic), New Zealand, Poland (189)
- Canada, Hungary, United States (188)
- Estonia, Lithuania (187)
- Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (186)
- Iceland (185)
You can read the Henley Passport Index in full here. And while you’re at it, why not have a read of this list of the easiest (and the hardest) European countries to gain citizenship?
Did you see that the top trending destinations to visit in 2024 have been revealed by Tripadvisor?
Plus: this is where to travel in 2024, according to the New York Times.
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