The World’s Most Powerful passports in 2023

Henley Passport Index is out for the year 2023, with Japan grabbing the first spot for the fifth year in a row. The passport index has ranked India at the 85th position, which means Indian passport holders can access up to 59 countries without needing a visa. India has climbed up in the ranking by two positions from the past year’s 87th position.

Japanese citizens can access 193 countries without requiring a visa. Singapore and South Korean passports, in the 2nd position, give visa-free access to 192 countries which amounts to 85 percent of the world and 98 percent of the global economy.

In third are Germany and Spain with visa-free access to 190 different destinations followed by Finland, Italy and Luxembourg with a score of 189. The UK and US didn’t move in 2023 from 6th and 7th place. They scored 187 and 186 respectively out of the 227 countries included in the Index.

The yearly Index from global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to rank the world’s 199 passports. It is based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa. If no visa is required, the country scores 1 point for its passport. This applies if citizens can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination. 

When a visa is required or the passport holder has to obtain a government-approved e-visa before departure, the passport receives a score of 0.

The top 10 countries in the list are:

1. Japan
2. Singapore
3. South Korea
4. Germany
5. Spain
6. Finland
7. Italy
8. Luxembourg
9. Austria
10. Denmark

Afghanistan, with the unrest that the nation is going through, is at the bottom of the index at 109 positions. Only 27 countries allow passport holders of Afghanistan visa-free access, 166 fewer than Japan. It is followed by Iraq with a score of 29 and Syria with a score of 30.

Author: Jaun Shahi