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Japanese nationals have visa-free or visa-on-demand access to a record 193 places worldwide, trailing only Singapore and South Korea, whose citizens can visit 192. Now, the Asia-Pacific region is opening up post-Covid, its residents are more inclined to take advantage of that travel freedom once more.
According to a new quarterly report produced by London-based global citizenship and residence advice business Henley & Partners, a trio of Asian passports provide their holders with greater worldwide travel freedom than those of any other country.
According to the current Henley Passport Index report, which is based on statistics from the International Air Transport Association, global travel is presently at roughly 75% of pre-pandemic levels (IATA).
A slew of European countries are around the top of the leaderboard below the Asian top three. Germany and Spain both have 190 destinations, followed by Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg, all of which have 189.
Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden are all tied for fifth rank, while France, Ireland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom are tied for sixth place. Along with Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, New Zealand and the United States are ranked seventh.
Afghan nationals are once again at the bottom of the index, with access to only 27 countries without a visa.
Other indexes
The index produced by Henley & Partners is one of several created by financial firms to rate worldwide passports based on the access they provide to its residents.
The Henley Passport Index assesses 199 passports based on the number of visa-free places to which its holders have access. Throughout the year, it is updated in real time as visa policy changes take effect.
The passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories are considered in Arton Capital’s Passport Index: ROC Taiwan, Macau (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory, and the Vatican. Territories annexed by other countries are not eligible.
It is likewise updated in real time throughout the year, but its data is acquired by closely monitoring the portals of specific governments. It’s a platform “for people who travel, to deliver accurate, simple-to-access information for their travel needs,” said Arton Capital founder Armand Arton in December.
The United Arab Emirates is ranked first in Arton’s Global Passport Power Rank 2023, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 181. Second place is occupied by 11 countries, the majority of which are from Europe: Germany, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and South Korea.
The United States and the United Kingdom are ranked third, followed by Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Norway, Poland, Ireland, and New Zealand.
