What is the most powerful passport in the world? Singapore again

According to the 2025 Henley Passport Index, Singapore has the strongest passport in the world.

The nation-state was one of six countries to top the 2024 list by migration consultancy Henley & Partners, which ranks passports by the number of destinations holders can access without a visa.

According to the rankings published on Wednesday, Singapore was ahead of five other countries — Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain and France — with its citizens granted visa-free access to 195 of the world’s 227 countries.

Japan is in second place with visa-free access to 193 destinations, while the four European countries that held the top spot last year, along with Finland and South Korea, share third place, each giving passport holders access to 192 destinations without a visa.

European countries, as well as New Zealand, dominate the top 20 list.

The Henley Passport Index uses data from the International Air Transport Association to rank 199 passports in the world.

According to the index, “visa-exempt” includes situations where a visa is not required or where easier-to-obtain entry documents such as visas on arrival, visitor permits and electronic travel permits are required.

“It’s amazing that the US is the second largest drop between 2015 and 2025 after Venezuela, dropping seven positions from 2nd to now 9th,” the release said.

Passports from Great Britain, which topped the list in 2015, and Canada also reportedly fell.

China rose in the ranking to 60th place in 2025. Its openness to other countries has also increased significantly, with China now allowing citizens from 58 countries to visit visa-free — half of which were added last year — according to the data. Henley Openness Index.

Afghanistan is again considered the country with the weakest passport on the list. It ranked last in providing access to only 26 out of 227 destinations. Its citizens can visit places like Cambodia, the Maldives, Djibouti, Sri Lanka and Haiti without the need for a visa.

According to Henley & Partners, the gap between the strongest and weakest passports on the list is the largest in the 19-year history of the index. Singaporeans can visit 169 more places than Afghans without the need for a visa, it said.

After Afghanistan, the weakest passports on the list are those of Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Nepal, the Palestinian territories, Libya and Bangladesh, each ranked below North Korea, whose citizens can visit 41 destinations worldwide. rating.