Summer holidays are barely a few weeks away and now is the time when families would be planning their perfect getaway. But one stress that comes with planning such a holiday is obtaining the visas. While residents with powerful passports will simply be able to book a flight and hotel, those with not-so-strong passports will have to either select visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations or apply for a visa and then hope that they get an appointment on time.
Passport rankings, such as those by the Henley Passport Index, can give a quick insight on how strong a country’s passport is. The stronger a passport, the easier access the passport holder has to countries around the world.
Passport rankings
The Henley Passport Index is one of the many that ranks passports according to the destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
While some passport indices rank passports only on the basis of visa-free access, some indices rank them on the basis of visa-free and visa-on-arrival access.
Definition and methodology behind the ranking
Updated monthly, the Henley Passport Index ranks 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations based on IATA data. Moreover, the index uses publicly available and reliable online sources to cross-check each passport against all 227 possible travel destinations.
How the index measures visa-free access
If passport holders from a country or region do not require a visa to travel to a specific destination, then a score of 1 is created for that passport. A score of 1 is also assigned if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.
In case a visa is required, a score of 0 is assigned to the passport.
The above criteria only applies to normal or regular passports, and not diplomatic or emergency travel documents. Also, it only considers short stays, rather than airport transits.
Top 13 most powerful passports in 2024
Passports that have received the maximum score in the methodology explained above rank the highest. It’s possible for multiple passports to have the same ranking based on their score. In the latest ranking, six passports are ranked at the No.1 spot, while seven are ranked 2nd.
The top 13 passports of 2024 are:
France | Score: 194
Germany | Score: 194
Italy | Score: 194
Japan | Score: 194
Singapore | Score: 194
Spain | Score: 194
Austria | Score: 193
Finland | Score: 193
Ireland | Score: 193
Luxembourg | Score: 193
Netherlands | Score: 193
South Korea | Score: 193
Sweden | Score: 193
Benefits of holding a powerful passport
The biggest benefit of holding a powerful passport is the ease of travel from one country to the other. Not only does having visa-free access to a country grant immense flexibility when planning a trip, it’s also cost-effective as the traveller does not have to pay any visa fees. Moreover, there are no hassles of obtaining a required set of documents to apply for the visa. A traveller with visa-free access to a group of countries can travel to the destinations even with last-minute planning, a privilege not available to those who must apply for a visa beforehand.
Passport power and tourism
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the travel and tourism sector contributed 9.1 percent to the global GDP in 2023. This is an increase of 23.2 percent from 2022 and only 4.1 percent below the 2019 level.
In 2023, there were 27 million new jobs in the sector, representing a 9.1 percent increase compared to 2022, and only 1.4 percent below the 2019 level. Overall, the sector accounts for 300 million jobs globally, and is forecast to add a 100 million new jobs by 2033.
According to the World Economic Forum, the sector’s especially empowers small- and medium-sized enterprises, with over 80 percent of travel and tourism businesses falling under this category.
Domestic visitor spending rose by 18.1 percent in 2023, while international visitor spending registered a 33.1 percent jump.
A stronger passport would mean greater freedom to travel, which would convert to greater spending by tourists, thereby improving the sector’s contribution to the GDP and supporting jobs in the sector.
Frequently asked questions
How are passports ranked?
Passports are ranked based on their score. The greater freedom a passport holder has when travelling to a country, the higher the passport will rank. Passports that offer the least mobility are ranked at the bottom of the list.
Holders of these passports require regular visas to travel to a majority of the countries.
Can the strength of a passport change?
Yes, the rankings can change depending on bilateral treaties signed between countries granting ease of access to tourists. Rankings can also change when some countries choose to change their overall visa policies, making it harder or easier for travellers globally to enter the country.
What are the different types of accessibility levels in a country?
- Visa-free: A tourist does not need a visa to enter the destination
- Visa on arrival: The tourist needs a visa, but this can be obtained upon landing at the airport of the destination country. No pre-departure approval is required.
- e-Visa: The tourist needs a visa to enter the destination, but the application can be made online. The visa received in this case is electronic.
- eTA: An eTA is an electronic travel authorisation required for visa-exempt foreign nationals visiting a country.
- Visa required: The tourist needs a traditional visa to enter the destination.
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