Henley Passport Index
This is a taste2travel post on the Henley Passport Index.
Latest Update – July 2024
Introduction
Updated: July 2024
Henley and Partners of London have just released their 2024 Henley Passport Index to reflect the current strength of all passports.
What exactly is the Passport Index?
The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
For the past 19 years, the index has measured the strength of 199 different passports, and the visa-free access they enjoy to 227 travel destinations – both countries and territories.
A Measure of Passport Power
In 1984, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, passed a law offering citizenship to individuals who “made a substantial investment in the state” and were of good character and not a threat to the country.
Since then, other Caribbean nations such as Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia and Grenada have introduced their own citizenship programs which allow for those willing to pay a substantial fee the opportunity to easily acquire a 2nd passport.
For consulting firms in the residence and citizenship-by-investment industry, there is a need to rank the ‘quality’ or ‘power’ of different passports.
One such firm – Henley & Partners – publish the Henley Passport Index which is an annual ranking of all the passports of the world according to the number of countries their holders can travel to visa-free.
The ranking is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains a comprehensive database of global travel information. The IATA data is augmented by in-house research conducted by Henley & Partners itself.
Index Mechanics
The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.
For each travel destination, if no visa is required for passport holders from a country or territory, then a score with value = 1 is created for that passport. A score with value = 1 is also applied if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) when entering the destination.
These visa-types require no pre-departure government approval, because of the specific visa-waiver programs in place.
Where a visa is required, or where a passport holder has to obtain a government-approved electronic visa before departure, a score with value = 0 is assigned. A score with value = 0 is also assigned if passport holders need pre-departure government approval for a visa on arrival, a scenario not considered ‘visa-free’.
The total score for each passport is equal to the number of destinations for which no visa is required (value = 1), under the conditions defined above.
2024 Henley Passport Index
Strongest Passport
The Singapore Passport is the world’s strongest passport in 2024.
In 2024, the world’s strongest passport is the Singaporean passport, offering visa-free access to 195 countries – a record number in the index’s history.
Weakest Passport
The Afghanistan Passport is the world’s weakest passport in 2024.
In 2024, the world’s weakest passport is the Afghanistan passport, which offers visa-free access to just 26 countries.
‘Top 10’ Rankings
The 2024 Henley Passport Index – top 10 passports.
The #1 position on the Henley Passport Index belongs to the Singaporean passport, which allows visa-free access to 195 countries and territories!
The next strongest passports are those of Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, which jointly hold the No.2 spot and whose citizens can enjoy visa-free travel to 192 destinations.
Then, at third place in the ranking, come South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, all of which have the privilege of seamless entry to 191 destinations.
The UK is in fourth place (190 destinations), alongside New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland.
Australia and Portugal share the No.5 spot (189 destinations) while the US has dropped down to eighth place, with visa-free access to a modest 186 destinations.
‘Bottom 10’ Rankings
The 2024 Henley Passport Index – bottom 10 passports.
At the other end of the index, the weakest passport belongs to Afghanistan, whose citizens can visit just 26 countries visa-free.
Online Passport Comparison
The Henley & Partners website allows you to compare the strength of your passport and to view the performance of your passport during the 18 years in which the index has been compiled.
How does your passport measure up?
That’s the end of this featured article on the Henley Passport Index.
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Safe Travels!
Darren
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Author: Darren McLean
Darren McLean is an Australian, full-time, digital nomad who has spent 37 years on a slow meander around the globe, visiting all seven continents, 189/ 193 UN countries and 241/ 251 UN+ countries and territories.
He founded taste2travel to pique one’s curiosity and inspire wanderlust.
