The Henley Passport Index released its latest list of the global ranking for the Most Powerful Passports for 2021.
Like last year, Japan topped the list of the most powerful passports with a score of 191. This means that if you hold a Japanese passport, you are offered visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a whopping 191 destinations around the world.
With a score of 190, Singapore was second on the leaderboard. Germany and South Korea tied for the third place with a score of 189, rounding off the top three positions. Interestingly, the top three positions for 2021 were the same as those for 2020.
While Germany was the only European nation in the top three, a host of nations from the European continent followed suit.
Four European nations – Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain – tied for fourth place with a score of 188 while Austria and Denmark were tied at fifth place with a score of 187.
“Just a year ago all indications were that the rates of global mobility would continue to rise, that travel freedom would increase, and that holders of powerful passports would enjoy more access than ever before,” says Christian H. Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners and inventor of the passport index concept.
“The global lockdown negated these glowing projections, and as restrictions begin to lift, the results from the latest index are a reminder of what passport power really means in a world upended by the pandemic.”
Here is the list of the best passports to hold in 2021:
1. Japan (191 destinations)
2. Singapore (190)
3. South Korea, Germany (189)
4. Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (188)
5. Denmark, Austria (187)
6. Sweden, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland (186)
7. Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, New Zealand (185)
8. Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Australia (184)
9. Canada (183)
10. Hungary (181)
Here is the list of the worst passports to hold on 2021:
103. North Korea (39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal (38)
105. Palestinian territories (37)
106. Somalia, Yemen (33)
107. Pakistan (32)
108. Syria (29)
109. Iraq (28)
110. Afghanistan (26)
What is the Henley Passport Index?
The Henley Passport Index is a ranking for the most powerful passports in the world that is based on the number of destinations passport holders can access without a prior visa. Based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), this Index been providing the ranking for over one and a half decade now. One of the most reliable and accurate index of its kind, the Henley Passport Index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.
With most nations entering fresh lockdowns, travel, especially international, has become a distant memory. However, we hope that 2021 would be a much better year for travelers across the world.
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