In a significant quarterly shakeup, the latest ranking of the world’s most powerful passports for 2024 reveals a historic tie at the top.
The list, compiled by the renowned Henley Passport Index, showcases the visa-free or visa-on-arrival access granted by passports from various countries to destinations worldwide:
1. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (194 destinations)
2. Finland, South Korea, Sweden (193 destinations)
3. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (192 destinations)
4. Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom (191 destinations)
5. Greece, Malta, Switzerland (190 destinations)
6. Czech Republic, New Zealand, Poland (189 destinations)
7. Canada, Hungary, United States (188 destinations)
8. Estonia, Lithuania (187 destinations)
9. Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (186 destinations)
10. Iceland (185 destinations)
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The list highlights a monumental rise for Europe, breaking the five-year dominance of Japan and Singapore at the top. With unprecedented access to 194 destinations, citizens of the leading countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, hold the most coveted passports in 2024.
As the rankings unfold, the Henley Passport Index reveals an intriguing global mobility gap. While the average number of destinations accessible visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024, the top-ranked countries now enjoy a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom with access to just 28 countries without a visa.
The United Arab Emirates emerges as the biggest climber, securing the 11th position by adding an impressive 106 destinations to its visa-free score since 2014.
This reflects the overall trend toward greater travel freedom, even as the gap between top and bottom widens.
Henley Passport Index is one among several indexes developed by financial firms to rank global passports based on the travel access they provide to citizens. Arton Capital’s Passport Index is another influential ranking, updating in real-time throughout the year.
Arton’s Global Passport Power Rank 2024 crowns the United Arab Emirates with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 180, while five European countries—Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands—secure the second position. Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Austria, and Switzerland claim the third spot, while the UK and the US are placed 5th and 6th, respectively.
