4 minutes agoWorld's most powerful passport for 2022
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Asian passports top the list of best passports in the world, which offer their holders greater travel freedom than those of any other country. In the newest quarterly report published by the global citizenship consulting firm and London-based Henley & Partners, it becomes [...]
Asian passports top the list of best passports in the world, which offer their holders greater travel freedom than those of any other country. In the newest quarterly report published by the global citizenship consulting firm and London-based Henley & Partners, it is Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
Japan offers its citizens visa-free access or visas on demand in a record 193 destinations worldwide, compared to 192 of the other Singapore and South Korea.
But because of Asia's careful measures against Coved-19, it means those citizens are less likely to actually use that freedom of travel than people in Europe or America.
The international passenger demand for air travel to the Asia-Peace region is still less than a fifth of pre-Condzic levels, according to the latest statistics from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
By comparison, says the Henley Passport Index report, markets in Europe and North America have recovered at about 60% of their previous levels of travel mobility.
Europe Persevers Again
Under the first three Asian countries, a large number of European countries stand near the top of the ranking. Germany and Spain are linked to 190 destinations, followed by Finland, Italy and Luxembourg with 189.
Next are Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden all in fifth place, while France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom are in sixth place.
New Zealand and the United States appear in seventh place, along with Belgium, Norway, and Switzerland.
Afghan citizens land again at the end of the index and can enter only 27 countries without asking for a pre-line.
As travel restrictions ease, however, there are hopeful signs that lower-level passports have begun regaining power.
Indian passport holders now have travel-like freedoms similar to what they enjoyed before the pandemic, the report says, with unlimited access to 57 destinations worldwide (compared only 23 destinations in 2020).
Because of Ukraine's invasion, Russian passport holders are more disconnected from the rest of the world than ever before.
The index does not take into account temporary restrictions or air space closures, so while the Russian passport is currently in 50th place in the index, with a visa-free result or visa in reaching 119, the reality is that Russian citizens are effectively forbidden to enter many of those destinations.
The best passports for July 2022 are:
1. Japan (193 destinations)
2. Singapore, South Korea (192 destinations)
3. Germany, Spain (190 destinations)
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189 destinations)
5. Austria, Denmark, Holland, Sweden (188 destinations)
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 destinations)
7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States (186 destinations)
8. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185 destinations)
9. Hungary (183 destinations)
10. Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia (182 destinations)
The worst passports for July 2022
Some countries worldwide have visa - free access or visas at the moment of arrival in 40 or fewer countries. This includes:
105. North Korea (40 destinations)
106. Nepal, Palestinian territory (38 destinations)
107. Somalia (35 destinations)
108. Yemen (34 destinations)
109. Pakistan (32 destinations)
110. Syria 30 destinations)
111. Iraq (29 destinations)
112. Afghanistan (27 destinations)
The Henley passport index lists 199 passports according to the number of destinations their owners may have access without preliminary visas. It is updated in real time throughout the year, when and when visa policy changes enter into force.
