World’s Most Powerful Passports for 2022

(CNN) — A trio of Asian passports offer their holders more freedom to travel around the world than any other country, according to a new quarterly report by Henley & Partners, a global citizenship and residency consultancy based in London.

Japan has now surpassed Singapore and South Korea

However, Asia’s more cautious response to Covid-19 means its citizens are less likely to exercise that freedom of travel than in Europe or the US.

According to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), international passenger demand for air travel in the Asia-Pacific region remains less than a fifth of pre-IATA levels.

In comparison, step Henley Passport Index ReportEuropean and North American markets have recovered 60% of their previous travel volume.

Europe dominates the passport rankings

Further down the top 10, the rankings remain largely unchanged in the second half of 2022.

Germany and Spain are tied at 190, and Finland, Italy and Luxembourg at 189. Next, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden are in fifth place, and France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom are in sixth place.

Belgium, Norway and Switzerland are followed by New Zealand and the United States in seventh place.

Afghan nationals again rank last on the index, and can access only 27 countries without the need for a prior visa.

However, there are promising signs that lower-quality passports are starting to gain weight again as travel restrictions are eased.

With seamless access to 57 destinations worldwide (up from just 23 in 2020), Indian passport holders now enjoy the same freedom of travel as they enjoyed before the pandemic.

Due to the invasion of Ukraine, Russian passport holders are more isolated from the rest of the world than ever before.

The index does not take into account temporary restrictions or airspace closures, so while the Russian passport currently ranks 50th on the index, with a visa-free or visa-on-arrival score of 119, the reality is that Russian citizens are barred from many. of those goals.

Best passports to hold in July 2022:

1. Japan (193 places)
2. Singapore, South Korea (192 seats)
3. Germany, Spain (190 seats)
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189)
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188)
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187)
7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, USA (186)
8. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185)
9. Hungary (183)
10. Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia (182)

Worst passports ever

There is visa-free or visa-on-rival access to less than 40 different countries around the world. These include:

105. North Korea (40 seats)
106. Nepal and Palestinian Territories (38)
107. Somalia (35)
108. Yemen (34)
109. Pakistan (31)
110. Syria (30)
111. Iraq (29)
112. Afghanistan (27)

Other codes

The Henley & Partner list is one of several indexes developed by financial institutions to rank global passports based on the access they provide to their citizens.

The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports by the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa. It will be updated in real time throughout the year as changes in visa policy come into effect.

Passport Index Arden Capital It takes into account the passports of the 193 United Nations member states and six territories: the Republic of China, Taiwan, Macao (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, the Palestinian Territory and the Vatican. Territories connected to other countries are excluded.

The United Arab Emirates tops its 2022 index, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 160.

Article updated on 19 July