Type of site | Passport guidance |
|---|---|
| Available in | English,Chinese,French,Spanish,Arabic andRussian |
| Headquarters | London[1] |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Owner | Henley & Partners |
| URL | Official website |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | None |
| Launched | 2005; 20 years ago (2005)[2] |
| Current status | Online |
TheHenley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom allowed by those countries' ordinarypassports for their citizens.[3] It was launched in 2005 asHenley & PartnersVisa Restrictions Index[4] and was updated to Henley Passport Index in January 2018.[5]
The index annually ranks 199 passports of the world by the number of countries that their holders can travel to without requiring a visa.[6] The number of countries that a specific passport can access becomes its visa-free "score". The data is obtained from theInternational Air Transport Association (IATA)'s[7]Timatic documentation requirements database.[4][8]
The Henley Passport index ranks passports according to the number of destinations that can be reached using a particular country's ordinary passport without the need of a prior visa ("visa-free").[9][10][11] The survey ranks 199 passports against 227 destination[12]countries,territories, andmicro-states.[13][14][15]
TheIATA maintains a database of travel information worldwide and all destinations that are in the IATA database are considered by the index.[16] However, because not all territories issue passports, there are far fewer passports ranked than destinations about which queries are made.[17]
To determine the score for each country or territory,[18] its passport is checked against the IATATimatic database in several steps:
According to 2025 Henley Passport Index, Singapore retains the top spot as the world's most powerful passport, giving visa-free access to 195 out of the 227 destinations worldwide to its holders.[22][23][24] Japan and South Korea are second in the ranking, while the third spot is shared by Denmark, Ireland, Finland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The Afghan passport is ranked last in the index making it the least powerful passport, which gives its holders visa-free access to 26 countries.[25] The South African passport is ranked in the top 50 after a decade, rising by 10% between 2024 and 2025.[26]
As of 16 July 2024, theSingaporean passport offers holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a total of 195 countries[27] and territories,[28] followed by theJapanese,French,German,Italian, andSpanish passports offer holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a total of 192 countries followed by theAustrian,Finnish,Irish,Luxembourgish,Dutch,South Korean andSwedish passports, each offering 191 visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries and territories to its holders.[29] These rankings were subsequently followed by theBelgian,Danish,New Zealand,Norwegian,Swiss, andBritish passports, each offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to 190 countries and territories.[30] While the 2024 Henley Passport Index shows a worldwide improvement in access to visa-free travel, the gap between the top and the bottom ranked countries has widened.[31]
Asian countries like Japan and Singapore have dominated the top position in the Index for the last five years.[32]
TheAfghan passport has once again been labelled by the index as the least powerful passport in the world, with its nationals only able to visit 28 destinations visa-free.[33][34] This was followed by theSyrian passport at 29 destinations, theIraqi passport at 31 destinations and thePakistani andYemini passports at 34 destinations. Among African countries, theSomali passport is the weakest passport according to the index.[35]
As of 8 December 2023, theSingaporean passport offered holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a total of 195 countries[27] and territories,[28] followed by theJapanese with 193 and theFinnish,French,German,Italian,South Korean,Spanish andSwedish passports, each offering 190 visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries and territories to its holders. These rankings were subsequently followed by theAustrian,Danish,Luxembourgeois andBritish passports, each offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to 189 countries and territories.
AnAfghan passport had once again been labelled by the index as the least powerful passport in the world, with its nationals only able to visit 27 destinations visa-free.[33][34] This was followed by theIraqi passport at 29 destinations and theSyrian passport at 30 destinations.[36]
As of 2022, aJapanese passport offered its holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a total of 193 countries and territories, withSouth Korean andSingapore passports each offering 192 visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries and territories to their holders.[37][38] AnAmerican passport offered its holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 186 countries and territories, with theBritish passport offering 187 visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries and territories to their holders.Canadian andAustralian passports each offered their holders visa-free access to 185 countries and territories.[39]
AnAfghan passport had once again been labelled by the index as the least powerful passport in the world, with its nationals only able to visit 27 destinations visa-free.[40]
A number of Asian and European countries are notable for their stability over the past decade, andBelgium,France,Italy,Luxembourg,Japan,Singapore,Spain, andSweden all remain in exactly the same position as 10 years before. The 'Top 10s' were almost identical, with 30 countries in 2015, compared to 26 a decade before. WhileLiechtenstein dropped, theCzech Republic,Finland,Hungary,Malta,Slovakia, andSouth Korea all made it into the top 10.
Taiwan,Albania, theUnited Arab Emirates,Bosnia and Herzegovina, andSerbia all moved up more than 20 places in the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index over the period, while the biggest drops were experienced byGuinea (−32),Liberia (−33),Sierra Leone (−35), andBolivia (−37).
In the table below, the "access" columns denote the number of visa-free destinations for holders of that passport. Unless indicated otherwise, the data in this table is taken from these sources.[41][42]
| Country | 2020 rank | 2020 access | 2019 rank | 2010 rank | 2006 rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 191 | 1 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2 | 190 | 1 | 11 | 8 | |
| 3 | 189 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |
| 3 | 189 | 2 | 13 | 11 | |
| 4 | 188 | 2 | 4 | 1 | |
| 4 | 188 | 3 | 5 | 3 | |
| 4 | 188 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| 4 | 188 | 4 | 6 | 4 | |
| 5 | 187 | 5 | 8 | 6 | |
| 5 | 187 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 6 | 186 | 4 | 5 | 3 | |
| 6 | 186 | 6 | 7 | 2 | |
| 6 | 186 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| 6 | 186 | 5 | 8 | 7 | |
| 6 | 186 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| 7 | 185 | 6 | 6 | 4 | |
| 7 | 185 | 6 | 10 | 4 | |
| 7 | 185 | 6 | 7 | 4 | |
| 7 | 185 | 6 | 1 | 3 | |
| 7 | 185 | 6 | 7 | 1 | |
| 8 | 184 | 7 | 18 | 21 | |
| 8 | 184 | 6 | 12 | 9 | |
| 8 | 184 | 7 | 15 | 11 | |
| 8 | 184 | 8 | 9 | 6 | |
| 9 | 183 | 9 | 9 | 9 | |
| 9 | 183 | 6 | 9 | 6 | |
| 10 | 182 | 10 | 18 | 19 | |
| 11 | 181 | 9 | 19 | 24 | |
| 11 | 181 | 13 | 16 | 16 | |
| 11 | 181 | 9 | 17 | 22 | |
| 12 | 180 | 10 | 13 | 9 | |
| 12 | 180 | 10 | 20 | 26 | |
| 12 | 180 | 10 | 17 | 17 | |
| 13 | 179 | 11 | 19 | 26 | |
| 14 | 178 | 12 | 14 | 10 | |
| 14 | 178 | 12 | 13 | 9 | |
| 15 | 175 | 14 | 21 | 15 | |
| 16 | 174 | 13 | 27 | 14 | |
| 16 | 174 | 14 | 18 | 12 | |
| 17 | 172 | 16 | 22 | 34 | |
| 18 | 171 | 17 | 25 | 29 | |
| 19 | 170 | 17 | 26 | 19 | |
| 19 | 170 | 17 | 28 | 20 | |
| 19 | 170 | 18 | 35 | 28 | |
| 19 | 170 | 18 | 19 | 13 | |
| 19 | 170 | 15 | 65 | 62 | |
| 20 | 168 | 19 | 23 | 14 | |
| 21 | 167 | 20 | 27 | 20 | |
| 22 | 166 | 21 | 24 | 19 | |
| 23 | 161 | 22 | 29 | 35 | |
| 24 | 160 | 22 | 25 | 18 | |
| 25 | 159 | 23 | 32 | 21 | |
| 26 | 156 | 24 | 31 | 40 | |
| 27 | 155 | 24 | 30 | 35 | |
| 28 | 153 | 25 | 34 | 20 | |
| 29 | 151 | 28 | 33 | 39 | |
| 29 | 151 | 26 | 39 | 46 | |
| 30 | 150 | 27 | 37 | 23 | |
| 30 | 150 | 29 | 45 | 36 | |
| 31 | 149 | 29 | 39 | ||
| 32 | 148 | 30 | 40 | 46 | |
| 32 | 148 | 31 | 47 | 38 | |
| 33 | 146 | 31 | 46 | 39 | |
| 33 | 146 | 31 | 69 | 55 | |
| 34 | 144 | 33 | 44 | 35 | |
| 35 | 143 | 32 | 49 | 41 | |
| 36 | 142 | 32 | 39 | 30 | |
| 37 | 141 | 34 | 41 | 30 | |
| 38 | 140 | 35 | 51 | 46 | |
| 39 | 135 | 36 | 58 | 56 | |
| 40 | 134 | 37 | 42 | 31 | |
| 40 | 134 | 37 | 42 | 32 | |
| 40 | 134 | 39 | 47 | 64 | |
| 41 | 133 | 38 | 42 | 30 | |
| 42 | 131 | 39 | 53 | 49 | |
| 42 | 131 | 40 | 52 | 44 | |
| 43 | 130 | 40 | 55 | 51 | |
| 44 | 129 | 41 | 43 | 33 | |
| 44 | 129 | 43 | 65 | 64 | |
| 44 | 129 | 38 | 36 | 25 | |
| 45 | 127 | 43 | 73 | 64 | |
| 45 | 127 | 42 | 54 | 48 | |
| 46 | 125 | 44 | 57 | 52 | |
| 47 | 124 | 46 | 48 | ||
| 47 | 124 | 45 | 46 | ||
| 48 | 122 | 46 | 56 | 49 | |
| 48 | 122 | 46 | 66 | 61 | |
| 49 | 120 | 47 | 66 | ||
| 50 | 119 | 47 | 70 | ||
| 51 | 118 | 47 | 69 | ||
| 51 | 118 | 48 | 49 | 62 | |
| 52 | 117 | 49 | 74 | 71 | |
| 53 | 116 | 50 | 72 | 68 | |
| 54 | 114 | 51 | 78 | 79 | |
| 55 | 111 | 52 | 46 | 46 | |
| 56 | 101 | 54 | 50 | 42 | |
| 56 | 101 | 53 | 47 | 37 | |
| 57 | 95 | 56 | 58 | 58 | |
| 57 | 95 | 57 | 63 | 60 | |
| 57 | 95 | 55 | 85 | ||
| 58 | 91 | 58 | 64 | 56 | |
| 59 | 89 | 60 | 56 | 54 | |
| 60 | 88 | 59 | 57 | 51 | |
| 60 | 88 | 60 | 57 | 45 | |
| 61 | 86 | 61 | 56 | 45 | |
| 62 | 85 | 62 | 60 | 50 | |
| 62 | 85 | 61 | 56 | 52 | |
| 63 | 84 | 62 | 59 | 56 | |
| 64 | 82 | 63 | 62 | 59 | |
| 65 | 79 | 64 | 68 | 61 | |
| 66 | 78 | 65 | 67 | 29 | |
| 66 | 78 | 65 | 66 | 57 | |
| 66 | 78 | 66 | 69 | 67 | |
| 67 | 77 | 67 | 62 | 56 | |
| 67 | 77 | 69 | 71 | 65 | |
| 68 | 76 | 68 | 73 | 68 | |
| 69 | 75 | 67 | 72 | 64 | |
| 69 | 75 | 69 | 64 | 47 | |
| 70 | 74 | 72 | 88 | 78 | |
| 70 | 74 | 70 | 65 | 52 | |
| 71 | 73 | 71 | 64 | 50 | |
| 72 | 72 | 72 | 64 | 52 | |
| 73 | 71 | 73 | 84 | 67 | |
| 73 | 71 | 75 | 68 | 56 | |
| 73 | 71 | 73 | 65 | 53 | |
| 74 | 69 | 75 | 67 | 59 | |
| 75 | 68 | 74 | 61 | 45 | |
| 76 | 67 | 76 | 76 | 68 | |
| 76 | 67 | 77 | 73 | 63 | |
| 76 | 67 | 76 | 70 | 58 | |
| 77 | 66 | 76 | 73 | ||
| 78 | 65 | 78 | 77 | 71 | |
| 78 | 65 | 77 | 67 | 53 | |
| 78 | 65 | 78 | 70 | 56 | |
| 79 | 64 | 77 | 78 | 69 | |
| 79 | 64 | 80 | 76 | 66 | |
| 80 | 63 | 81 | 76 | 69 | |
| 80 | 63 | 80 | 74 | 68 | |
| 80 | 63 | 79 | 64 | 51 | |
| 81 | 62 | 80 | 73 | 61 | |
| 81 | 62 | 81 | 82 | 74 | |
| 81 | 62 | 80 | 82 | 72 | |
| 82 | 61 | 81 | 83 | 74 | |
| 83 | 60 | 84 | 87 | 73 | |
| 84 | 59 | 83 | 76 | 62 | |
| 84 | 59 | 83 | 40 | 58 | |
| 85 | 58 | 82 | 77 | 71 | |
| 85 | 58 | 84 | 77 | 69 | |
| 86 | 57 | 85 | 85 | 72 | |
| 86 | 57 | 84 | 72 | ||
| 86 | 57 | 85 | 80 | 72 | |
| 87 | 56 | 86 | 76 | 60 | |
| 88 | 55 | 89 | 89 | 76 | |
| 88 | 55 | 85 | 75 | 60 | |
| 88 | 55 | 87 | 83 | 71 | |
| 88 | 55 | 86 | 76 | 62 | |
| 89 | 54 | 88 | 87 | 79 | |
| 89 | 54 | 87 | 75 | 59 | |
| 89 | 54 | 87 | 76 | 60 | |
| 89 | 54 | 90 | 84 | 78 | |
| 90 | 53 | 89 | 83 | 77 | |
| 90 | 53 | 88 | 82 | ||
| 90 | 53 | 88 | 89 | ||
| 90 | 53 | 87 | 79 | 63 | |
| 90 | 53 | 90 | 86 | 77 | |
| 91 | 52 | 90 | 81 | 68 | |
| 92 | 51 | 91 | 79 | 73 | |
| 92 | 51 | 92 | 97 | 75 | |
| 93 | 50 | 92 | 92 | 77 | |
| 93 | 50 | 93 | 89 | 78 | |
| 93 | 50 | 92 | 84 | ||
| 93 | 50 | 92 | 85 | 76 | |
| 94 | 49 | 92 | 85 | 70 | |
| 94 | 49 | 92 | 85 | 74 | |
| 94 | 49 | 93 | 82 | 65 | |
| 95 | 48 | 94 | 85 | 69 | |
| 96 | 47 | 95 | 91 | 77 | |
| 96 | 47 | 95 | 92 | 81 | |
| 97 | 46 | 95 | 76 | 62 | |
| 98 | 44 | 97 | 92 | 78 | |
| 99 | 43 | 97 | |||
| 100 | 42 | 97 | 90 | ||
| 100 | 42 | 99 | 93 | 76 | |
| 100 | 42 | 96 | 84 | 74 | |
| 101 | 41 | 99 | 85 | 68 | |
| 101 | 41 | 99 | 92 | 82 | |
| 102 | 40 | 98 | 89 | ||
| 102 | 40 | 100 | 94 | 79 | |
| 102 | 40 | 102 | 96 | 79 | |
| 103 | 39 | 100 | 90 | 78 | |
| 104 | 38 | 100 | 87 | 77 | |
| 104 | 38 | 101 | 88 | 76 | |
| 104 | 38 | 102 | 97 | ||
| 105 | 33 | 104 | 95 | 81 | |
| 105 | 33 | 103 | 88 | 78 | |
| 106 | 32 | 104 | 90 | 79 | |
| 107 | 29 | 105 | 87 | 80 | |
| 108 | 28 | 106 | 97 | 81 | |
| 109 | 26 | 107 | 98 | 83 |
The index and its contents are based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and supplemented, enhanced, and updated using extensive in-house research and open-source online data.