Canada's passport has climbed up in a ranking of the world's most powerful passports, positioning it ahead of the United States.
Each quarter, the Henley Passport Index presents its ranking of passports according to the number of countries their holders can enter without the bother of applying for a visa in advance. The renowned London-based consultancy, which helps governments develop citizenship-by-investment programs, bases the ranking on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and additional in-house research.
For the first time in five years, Japan has been ousted from the top spot, falling to third in the ranking. Singapore has claimed the top honour, with its citizens able to visit 192 destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free.
Three countries tied for the second spot, with passports from Germany, Italy, and Spain granting visa-free access to 190 destinations worldwide. Japan split third place in the ranking with six other countries, including Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden, with their respective travel documents granting access to 189 destinations without a prior visa.
After a six-year decline in the ranking, the United Kingdom has climbed two spots to fourth, which it shares with Ireland, Denmark, and the Netherlands. These countries have visa-free access to 188 countries.
New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, and Switzerland rounded out the top five, with their respective passports granting visa-free access to 187 destinations. In sixth place, passport holders in Australia, Hungary, and Poland can get visa-free access to 186 countries worldwide.
Canada tied with Greece for the seventh spot, with its citizens able to visit 185 destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free.
In the eighth spot, residents of the U.S. and Lithuania have access to 184 destinations visa-free. Henley notes that the United Kingdom "and the U.S. jointly held first place on the index nearly 10 years ago in 2014, but have been on a downward trajectory ever since."
Latvia, Slovenia, and Slovakia have tied for the ninth spot, with their citizens having access to 183 countries around the world.
Estonia and Iceland rounded out the top 10, with its passport holders having access to 182 destinations.
On the other end of the spectrum, "Afghanistan remains entrenched at the bottom of the Henley Passport Index, with a visa-free access score of just 27, followed by Iraq (score of 29), and Syria (score of 30)."
Henley adds that the "general trend" over the 18-year-old ranking has transitioned toward greater travel freedom, "with the average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2023. However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been, with top-ranked Singapore able to access 165 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan."
The most powerful passports in the world in 2023
- Singapore
- Germany, Italy, and Spain
- Japan, Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden
- United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, and the Netherlands
- New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, and Switzerland
- Australia, Hungary, and Poland
- Canada and Greece
- United States and Lithuania
- Latvia, Slovenia, and Slovakia
- Estonia and Iceland
