The Henley Passport Index, published by global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, is based on exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has tracked changes in freedom of movement between countries around the world to find the most “travel-friendly” passports since 2006.
Over the past 18 months, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, travel between countries around the world has been hindered. However, this index does not take into account the temporary restrictions that countries are imposing to respond to the pandemic. Instead, the ranking shows the long-term connection between countries with the 10 "most powerful" positions. These are countries that allow their citizens to freely travel to hundreds of other countries and territories around the world.
the most powerful passports in the world
The number of travel destinations for passports in the top 10 is almost the same. However, it is worth noting that three Asian countries hold the top positions. Japan tops the list with its passport that allows visa-free travel to 192 countries and territories. Along with that, Singapore's passport is on par with Japan.
With its "trademark" friendliness, this is the fifth consecutive year that Japan's passport has held the number one spot.
Second in the rankings are South Korea and Germany with 190 points.
All the following positions belong to European countries, as in every year, such as Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain... Among them, the United Kingdom - one of the countries that topped the list in 2014, is holding the 7th position with visa-free entry to 185 countries.
European countries have dominated the Henley Passport Index over the years.
In addition, the ranking also names two American countries, the US and Canada, ranked 7th and 8th respectively, with a difference of one destination. Two Oceania countries are also present in this ranking, Australia and New Zealand.
The Henley Passport Index also takes into account residency and citizenship by investment programs available in nearly 100 countries, of which 60% are in the European Union.
In addition, in this ranking, Vietnam ranked 94th with the freedom to travel to 54 countries and territories without a visa. The countries at the bottom of the list are mostly located in the Middle East and neighboring regions such as Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, of which Afghanistan is at the bottom, citizens of these countries are only allowed to travel visa-free to less than 40 other countries.
TOP 10 MOST POWERFUL PASSPORTS IN THE WORLD IN 2021
1. Japan & Singapore (192 destinations)
2. Germany & South Korea (190)
3. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189)
4. Austria, Denmark (188)
5. France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden (187)
6. Belgium, New Zealand, Switzerland (186)
7. Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, Norway, UK, USA (185)
8. Australia, Canada (184)
9. Hungary (183)
10. Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia (182)
Inequality towards migrants
The Henley & Partners report also pointed to "growing inequality" between the global North and the global South; and said that "restrictive policies initially introduced to contain the spread of Covid-19 are now being used to stem the flow of migrants from the global South to the global North".
“The global North has been implementing strategies to contain migration flows, through the strict application of border controls, which undermine migratory movements in various ways,” Mehari Taddele Maru, a fellow at the United Nations University Institute for Regional Integration Studies, wrote in the review. “Covid-19-related travel restrictions are additional new policies aimed at preventing migration from the South.”
The flow of migrants to the North has been a tense issue in recent years, especially in Europe. As the Covid-19 pandemic has just subsided, Europe continues to face the problem of migrants flooding into the old continent.
Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the conceptpassport index, arguing that imposing measures to stop migration could have far-reaching consequences. “If we want to restart the global economy, it is important that developed countries encourage inward migration, rather than persisting in outdated restrictions,” he added.
“Resource-rich countries need to preserve their economies for the future, by attracting and welcoming the coming generation.”
