The Japanese passport has once again been named the most powerful passport in the world according to the "Henley Passport Index 2023". An index based on the number of destinations that passport holders can access without a prior visa, Japanese citizens can visit 193 destinations out of 227 countries visa-free. Singapore and South Korea share second place with a visa-free score of 192.
The latest 2023 Henley Passport Index shows that Japan has retained its position as the world's most powerful passport for the fifth consecutive year. Japanese citizens now have visa-free access to 193 destinations from 227 countries, which gives them unparalleled freedom of travel. Singapore and South Korea are second, and their nationals are allowed to visit 192 destinations without a visa.
Many European countries follow this trio of passports, whereby they Germany and Spain tied for third place, boasting a visa-free rating of 190 countries worldwide. Followed by Finland, Italy and Luxembourg in fourth place with a score of 189. Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden landed in fifth place with a score of 188. The UK and the US are in 6th and 7th place respectively with a score of 187 and 186, almost a decade after when they held the first place together in 2014.
The index also highlights the gap in visa-free access between the most and least powerful passports. Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria remain at the bottom of the Henley Passport Index with visa-free regime scores of 27, 29 and 30 respectively.
Henley Passport Indext is widely recognized as the most robust index of its kind and is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The rankings are updated in real time throughout the year as and when visa waiver agreements and other changes to visa regulations come into effect.
2023 ranking of the most powerful passports in the world:
- Japan (193 locations)
- Singapore, South Korea (192 locations)
- Germany, Spain (190 locations)
- Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189 locations)
- Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188 locations)
- France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 locations)
- Belgium, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States (186 locations)
- Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta (185 locations)
- Hungary, Poland (184 locations)
- Lithuania, Slovakia (183 locations)
