If you’re not familiar with the Henley Passport Index then you probably haven’t given much thought to which countries you can enter visa-free, depending on the passport you hold. The folks at Henley and Partners think about little else as they meticulously record movements in visa requirements in their quarterly reports.
“Visa-free” means you don’t have to apply in advance for a visa to enter the destination country, and it includes countries that automatically issue a visa on arrival.
In the latest report, Japan continues to hold the number one position on the index, with Japanese passport holders able to access a whopping 193 destinations around the world visa-free. This marks the third consecutive year that Japan has held the top spot.
Singapore sits in second position with access to 192 destinations, and South Korea is tied with Germany in third place, both having a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 191.
The US, UK, New Zealand, Switzerland and Belgium all share seventh place with each having visa-free access to 187 countries. Tied at number nine are Australia and Canada with 185 countries each.
The make-up of the list has changed in recent times. Over the index’s 16-year history, the top spots were traditionally held by EU countries, the UK or the US.
The figures do not take account of temporary pandemic restrictions that may currently bar entry to certain countries, with or without a visa.
At the bottom of the list (110th place) is Afghanistan, whose passport holders can enter only 26 countries without a prior visa. You can see the full list here Henley Passport Index.
