Japan and Singapore have the world’s most powerful passports with the UK and US in joint-sixth. We take a look at the rest of the results
It feels a little masochistic to look at the world’s most powerful passports after yet another year of recurring lockdowns. However, as we’ve said before, we remain hopeful about the future of travel. We believe that exploration is a human instinct and that as soon as it is safe, people will return to the road.
With this in mind, we take a look at the newly released ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, compiled by Henley Passport Index. With historical data spanning 17 years, the index ranks passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

What are the world’s most powerful passports?
Japan and Singapore jointly have the world’s most powerful passports in 2022, granting easy access to 192 destinations. They are followed by Germany and South Korea in joint-third. The 10 most powerful passports are below.
- Japan, 192 destinations
- Singapore, 192
- Germany, 190
- South Korea, 190
- Finland, 189
- Italy, 189
- Luxembourg, 189
- Spain, 189
- Austria, 188
- Denmark, 188
What are the world’s least powerful passports?
Afghanistan is the world’s least powerful passport in 2022, granting easy access to only 26 destinations. It ranks just below Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen. The 10 least powerful passports are below.
- Libya, 40 destinations
- North Korea, 39
- Nepal, 37
- Palestinian Territory, 37
- Somalia, 34
- Yemen, 33
- Pakistan, 31
- Syria, 29
- Iraq, 28
- Afghanistan, 26

Increase in Visa-Free Destinations: 2006 versus 2022
The darker blue countries have increased the number of destinations their citizens can access visa-free or with a visa-on-arrival the most. Hover over a country to see the number of destinations it has gained access to since 2006.
How is the ranking calculated?
The Henley Passport Index uses data from the International Air Transport Authority to cross-check 199 passports against 227 possible travel destinations.
For each travel destination, if no visa is required or a visa-on-arrival is available, the passport in question receives a score of 1. If a visa or other form of government approval is required before departure, the passport receives a score of 0.
The scores for each passport are added up to produce its total score (i.e. the number of destinations to which it grants access without a prior visa). This is then ranked against all other passports to create the index.
interesting insights
Japan has taken the top spot of the index for the fourth consecutive year, either alone or jointly with Singapore. This year it is once again joined by Singapore.

Over the past eight years, the US passport has fallen from the number one spot to sixth place, a position it currently shares with the UK, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand and Belgium.
North Korea has visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 39 destinations. This includes only one country in Europe: Belarus.

The UAE has continued its remarkable upward trajectory. In 2022, it has a score of 175 to take 15th place on the ranking. This is a rapid ascent from 2006 when it had a score of just 35 and ranked 62nd.
The biggest climbers over the past decade are UAE, Colombia, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, Georgia and Peru. In contrast, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, Libya, The Gambia and Sierra Leone have fared the worst.
World’s most powerful passports – ranked
Rank | Country | Score |
---|---|---|
1 | Japan | 192 |
Singapore | 192 | |
2 | Germany | 190 |
South Korea | 190 | |
3 | Finland | 189 |
Italy | 189 | |
Luxembourg | 189 | |
Spain | 189 | |
4 | Austria | 188 |
Denmark | 188 | |
France | 188 | |
Netherlands | 188 | |
Sweden | 188 | |
5 | Ireland | 187 |
Portugal | 187 | |
6 | Belgium | 186 |
New Zealand | 186 | |
Norway | 186 | |
Switzerland | 186 | |
UK | 186 | |
USA | 186 | |
7 | Australia | 185 |
Canada | 185 | |
Czech Rep | 185 | |
Greece | 185 | |
Malta | 185 | |
8 | Hungary | 183 |
Poland | 183 | |
9 | Lithuania | 182 |
Slovakia | 182 | |
10 | Estonia | 181 |
Latvia | 181 | |
Slovenia | 181 | |
11 | Iceland | 180 |
12 | Malaysia | 179 |
13 | Liechtenstein | 178 |
14 | Cyprus | 176 |
15 | UAE | 175 |
16 | Chile | 174 |
Monaco | 174 | |
Romania | 174 | |
17 | Bulgaria | 173 |
Croatia | 173 | |
18 | Hong Kong (SAR) | 171 |
19 | Argentina | 170 |
20 | Brazil | 169 |
San Marino | 169 | |
21 | Andorra | 168 |
22 | Brunei | 166 |
23 | Barbados | 161 |
24 | Israel | 159 |
24 | Mexico | 159 |
25 | St Kitts & Nevis | 157 |
26 | Bahamas | 155 |
27 | Uruguay | 153 |
Vatican City | 153 | |
28 | Seychelles | 152 |
29 | St Vincent & Gren | 151 |
30 | Antigua & Barbuda | 150 |
Costa Rica | 150 | |
Trinidad & Tobago | 150 | |
31 | Mauritius | 146 |
St. Lucia | 146 | |
32 | Taiwan | 145 |
33 | Dominica | 144 |
Grenada | 144 | |
Macao (SAR) | 144 | |
34 | Panama | 142 |
35 | Paraguay | 141 |
Ukraine | 141 | |
36 | Peru | 135 |
Serbia | 135 | |
Vanuatu | 135 | |
37 | El Salvador | 134 |
38 | Guatemala | 133 |
Honduras | 133 | |
39 | Colombia | 131 |
Samoa | 131 | |
Solomon Islands | 131 | |
40 | Tonga | 129 |
Venezuela | 129 | |
41 | Nicaragua | 127 |
Tuvalu | 127 | |
42 | North Macedonia | 125 |
43 | Kiribati | 123 |
Montenegro | 123 | |
44 | Marshall Islands | 122 |
45 | Moldova | 120 |
46 | Palau | 119 |
Russia | 119 | |
47 | Bosnia & Herz | 117 |
Micronesia | 117 | |
48 | Georgia | 115 |
49 | Albania | 114 |
50 | Turkey | 110 |
51 | South Africa | 104 |
52 | Belize | 101 |
53 | Qatar | 97 |
54 | Kuwait | 95 |
55 | Timor-Leste | 93 |
56 | Ecuador | 91 |
57 | Nauru | 89 |
58 | Fiji | 88 |
Maldives | 88 | |
59 | Guyana | 87 |
60 | Botswana | 86 |
61 | Jamaica | 85 |
62 | Bahrain | 84 |
63 | Papua New Guinea | 82 |
64 | China | 80 |
Oman | 80 | |
65 | Belarus | 79 |
Bolivia | 79 | |
Saudi Arabia | 79 | |
Thailand | 79 | |
66 | Namibia | 78 |
67 | Lesotho | 77 |
Suriname | 77 | |
68 | Kazakhstan | 75 |
69 | eSwatini | 74 |
70 | Malawi | 73 |
71 | Kenya | 72 |
Tanzania | 72 | |
72 | Indonesia | 71 |
Tunisia | 71 | |
Zambia | 71 | |
73 | Dominican Rep | 70 |
74 | Azerbaijan | 69 |
75 | The Gambia | 68 |
76 | Uganda | 67 |
77 | Cape Verde Islands | 66 |
Philippines | 66 | |
78 | Armenia | 65 |
Zimbabwe | 65 | |
79 | Cuba | 64 |
Ghana | 64 | |
Morocco | 64 | |
80 | Kyrgyzstan | 63 |
Sierra Leone | 63 | |
81 | Mozambique | 62 |
82 | Benin | 61 |
Mongolia | 61 | |
Rwanda | 61 | |
83 | Sao Tome & Prin | 60 |
84 | India | 59 |
Mauritania | 59 | |
Tajikistan | 59 | |
85 | Burkina Faso | 58 |
86 | Gabon | 57 |
Uzbekistan | 57 | |
87 | Cote d'Ivoire | 56 |
Senegal | 56 | |
88 | Equatorial Guinea | 55 |
Madagascar | 55 | |
89 | Guinea | 54 |
Mali | 54 | |
Togo | 54 | |
Vietnam | 54 | |
90 | Bhutan | 53 |
Cambodia | 53 | |
Chad | 53 | |
Comoro Islands | 53 | |
Niger | 53 | |
91 | Algeria | 52 |
Central African Rep | 52 | |
Egypt | 52 | |
Guinea-Bissau | 52 | |
Jordan | 52 | |
Turkmenistan | 52 | |
92 | Burundi | 51 |
93 | Angola | 50 |
Cameroon | 50 | |
Laos | 50 | |
94 | Liberia | 49 |
95 | Congo | 48 |
Haiti | 48 | |
96 | Djibouti | 47 |
97 | Myanmar | 46 |
98 | Ethiopia | 45 |
Nigeria | 45 | |
99 | South Sudan | 44 |
100 | Eritrea | 43 |
101 | DR Congo | 42 |
Iran | 42 | |
102 | Lebanon | 41 |
Sri Lanka | 41 | |
Sudan | 41 | |
103 | Bangladesh | 40 |
Kosovo | 40 | |
Libya | 40 | |
104 | North Korea | 39 |
105 | Nepal | 37 |
Palestinian Territory | 37 | |
106 | Somalia | 34 |
107 | Yemen | 33 |
108 | Pakistan | 31 |
109 | Syria | 29 |
110 | Iraq | 28 |
111 | Afghanistan | 26 |
This article is updated annually with the latest available data.