Singapore Has the World’s Most Powerful Passport, Report Finds
Singapore has been ranked as having the world’s most powerful passport, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index. The nation-state beat out five other countries that tied for the top spot, with its citizens granted visa-free access to 195 out of 227 global destinations.
Japan ranked second, with visa-free access to 193 spots, while the four European countries that were tied for the top spot last year, plus Finland and South Korea, shared third place with visa-free access to 192 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index uses data from the International Air Transport Association to rank 199 passports in the world. “Visa-free” includes situations where no visa is required, or when easier-to-obtain entrance documents, such as visas on arrival, visitor’s permits, and electronic travel authorities, are required.
The report also noted that the United Arab Emirates is one of the “biggest climbers” on the list, having gained visa-free access to 72 destinations in the past decade, for a total of 185 destinations worldwide. It is just behind the United States, whose citizens can visit 186 places without needing a visa.
On the other hand, the United States is one of 22 places where passports fell in the index in the past 10 years, dropping seven places to 9th position. The United Kingdom and Canada also fell in the ranking.
China, on the other hand, rose in the ranking to land in 60th place, with its openness to other countries also increasing. China now allows citizens from 58 destinations to visit visa-free, with half of these added in the past year, according to the Henley Openness Index.
Afghanistan was deemed to have the weakest passport, with its citizens having access to only 26 out of 227 destinations, including Cambodia, Maldives, Djibouti, Sri Lanka, and Haiti. The gap between the strongest and weakest passports on the list is the largest in the index’s 19-year history, with Singaporeans able to visit 169 more places than Afghans without needing a visa.