Japan leads 2021 world’s Most Powerful Passports, See Full Lists

Japan maintains its lead into 2021 as the world’s most powerful passport. 

 The Asian giant has held the top spot since 2018. The Henley Passport Index released the ranking on Tuesday. 

 The passports were rated according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. Japan passport holders are able to access 191 destinations around the world visa-free. 

Singapore, joint number one in 2019, currently has the second most desirable passport on earth with access to 190 destinations. 

 South Korea and Germany have a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 189. The classification based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) affirmed Asia Pacific (APAC) countries’ dominance. 

 Experts say the APAC region’s strength will continue as it includes nations with quick recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. 

 Before now, in the index’s 16-year history, European Union countries, the United Kingdom, or the United States, held the top spots. 

 Over the past seven years, the U.S. passport has dropped from the uppermost to 7th place. The U.K. is presently on the same rank. 

 Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, sits in 97th position. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, noted that the current standing ranking provides an opportunity to reflect on the upheaval that characterized 2020. 

 

“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. 

 “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”, said Kaelin, the passport index inventor. Countries, ranking and destinations: 

 Japan 1 – 191 

Singapore 2 – 190 

South Korea 3 – 189 

Germany 3 – 189 

Italy 4 – 188 

Finland 4 – 188 

Spain 4 – 188 

Luxembourg 4 – 188 

Denmark 5 – 187   

Austria 5 – 187 

Sweden 6 – 186

 France 6 – 186 

Portugal 6 – 186

Netherlands 6 – 186 

Ireland 6 – 186

Switzerland 7 – 185

 United States 7 – 185

 United Kingdom 7 – 185 

Norway 7 – 185 

Belgium 7 – 185

 New Zealand 7 – 185

 Greece 8 – 184

 Malta 8 – 184

 Czech Republic 8 – 184

Australia 8 – 184

 Canada 9 – 183

 Hungary 10 – 182

Slovakia 11 – 181

 Lithuania 11 – 181

 Iceland 11 – 181

 Poland 11 – 181

 Slovenia 12 – 180

 Latvia 12 – 180 

Estonia 13 – 179

 Malaysia 14 – 178

 Liechtenstein 14 – 178

 Monaco 15 – 174

Cyprus 15 – 174

 Chile 15 – 174

 United Arab Emirates 16 – 173 

Romania 17 – 172 

Bulgaria 18 – 171

 Croatia 18 – 171

Brazil 19 – 170

 Argentina 19 – 170

 Hong Kong (SAR China) 19– 170

 San Marino 20 – 168 

Andorra 21 – 167 

Brunei 22 – 166

 Barbados 23 – 161

 Israel 23 – 161

 Mexico 24 – 159 

St. Kitts and Nevis 25 – 156 

Bahamas 26 – 155 

Uruguay 27 – 153

 Vatican City 27 – 153

 Seychelles 28 – 151 

Antigua and Barbuda 28 – 151

 Trinidad and Tobago 29 – 150 

Costa Rica 29 – 150 

St. Vincent and the Grenadines 30 – 148

Mauritius 31 – 146

 St. Lucia 31 – 146 

Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) 32 – 145

 Macao (SAR China) 33 – 144

Grenada 33 – 144 

Dominica 34 – 143 

Panama 35 – 142

 Paraguay 36 – 141 

Peru 37 – 135

 Serbia 38 – 134

 Honduras 38 – 134

 El Salvador 38 – 134

 Guatemala 39 – 133 

Solomon Islands 40 – 131 

Samoa 40 – 131

 Vanuatu 41 – 130

 Ukraine 41 – 130 

Venezuela 42 – 129

Nicaragua 42 – 129 

Colombia 42 – 129 

Tuvalu 43 – 127

 Tonga 44 – 125

 Montenegro 45 – 124

 North Macedonia 45 – 124

 Marshall Islands 46 -123 

Kiribati 46 – 123 

Moldova 47 – 120 

Palau Islands 47 – 120

Micronesia 48 – 118 

Bosnia and Herzegovina 49 – 117

 Russian Federation 50 – 116

 Georgia 51 – 115 

Albania 52 – 114 

Turkey 53 – 110

 South Africa 54 – 101

 Belize 54 – 101

 Kuwait 55 – 96 

Qatar 56 – 95 

Timor-Leste 57 – 94

 Ecuador 58 – 92 

Nauru 59 – 89 

Guyana 60 – 88 

Fiji 60 – 88 

Jamaica 61 – 86

 Maldives 62 – 85 

Botswana 62 – 85

 Papua New Guinea 63 – 84 

Bahrain 64 – 83 

Oman 65 – 80 

Thailand 66 – 79

 Saudi Arabia 66 – 79

 Suriname 67 – 78

 Bolivia 67 – 78

Namibia 68 – 77 

Lesotho 69 – 76

 Kazakhstan 70 – 75 

Belarus 70 – 75 

China 70 – 75 

Eswatini (Swaziland) 71 – 74 

Malawi 72 – 73 

Kenya 73 – 72

 Indonesia 74 – 71 

Zambia 74 – 71 

Tanzania 74 – 71

 Tunisia 74 – 71

 Gambia 75 – 68 

Azerbaijan 76 – 67 

Uganda 76 – 67 

Philippines 77 – 66

 Cape Verde Islands 77 – 66

 Dominican Republic 77 – 66 

Ghana 78 – 65

Zimbabwe 78 – 65 

Cuba 79 – 64 

Morocco 79 – 64 

Sierra Leone 80 – 63

 Kyrgyzstan 80 – 63

 Armenia 80 – 63

 Mongolia 81 – 62 

Benin 81 – 62 

Mozambique 81 – 62 

Sao Tome and Principe 82 – 61

 Rwanda 83 – 60

Burkina Faso 84 – 59

 Mauritania 84 – 59 

Tajikistan 85 – 58

 India 85 – 58

 Uzbekistan 86 – 57 

Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 86 – 57 

Gabon 86 – 57 

Senegal 87 – 56

 Togo 88 – 55 

Guinea 88 – 55 

Madagascar 88 – 55 

Equatorial Guinea 88 – 55 

Vietnam 89 – 54

 Niger 89 – 54 

Mali 89 – 54

 Cambodia 89 – 54 

Guinea-Bissau 90 – 53

 Comoro Islands 90 – 53 

Chad 90 – 53

 Bhutan 90 – 53 

Turkmenistan 90 – 53

 Central African Republic 91 – 52 

Jordan 92 – 51

 Algeria 92 – 51 

Laos 93 – 50 

Egypt 93 – 50 

Burundi 93 – 50 

Angola 93 – 50 

Liberia 94 – 49 

Haiti 94 – 49 

Cameroon 94 – 49 

Congo (Rep.) 95 – 48 

Myanmar 96 – 47 

Djibouti 96 – 47 

Nigeria 97 – 46 

Ethiopia 98 – 44 

South Sudan 99 – 43 

Sri Lanka 100 – 42 

Eritrea 100 – 42 

Congo (Dem. Rep.) 100 – 42 

Iran 101 – 41 

Bangladesh 101 – 41 

Lebanon 102 – 40

 Kosovo 102 – 40 

Sudan 102 – 40 

North Korea 103 – 39 

Nepal 104 – 38 

Libya 104 – 38 

Palestine 105 – 37 

Yemen 106 – 33 

Somalia 106 – 33 

Pakistan 107 – 32 

Syria 108 – 29 

Iraq 109 – 28 

Afghanistan 110 – 26