Ranking: The most powerful passports in the world 2022

Ranking: The most powerful passports in the world 2022

Japan and Singapore have the strongest passports in the world, with the UK and USA in sixth place. Let's take a look at the rest of the results

It feels a little masochistic to look at the world's most powerful passes after another year of recurring closures. However, as we've said before, we remain hopeful about the future of travel. We believe that exploring is a human instinct and that people will return to the streets as soon as it is safe to do so.

With this in mind, let's take a look at the newly released ranking of the world's most powerful passports, compiled by the Henley Passport Index. Using 17 years of historical data, the index ranks passports by the number of destinations their holders can travel to without a prior visa.

Kanuman/ShutterstockSingapore has joined Japan at the top

What are the most powerful passports in the world?

Japan and Singapore jointly have the world's most powerful passports in 2022, providing easy access to 192 destinations. Germany and South Korea follow in shared third place. The 10 most powerful passes are below.

• Japan, 192 Reiseziele
• Singapur, 192
• Deutschland, 190
• Südkorea, 190
• Finnland, 189
• Italien, 189
• Luxemburg, 189
• Spanien, 189
• Österreich, 188
• Dänemark, 188

What are the least powerful passports in the world?

Afghanistan is the world's least powerful passport in 2022, granting easy access to only 26 destinations. It ranks just behind Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen. The 10 least powerful passes are below.

• Libyen, 40 Ziele
• Nordkorea, 39
• Nepal, 37
• Palästinensische Gebiete, 37
• Somalia, 34
• Jemen, 33
• Pakistan, 31
• Syrien, 29
• Irak, 28
• Afghanistan, 26

Thanakorn chuenpongsa/ShutterstockNepal's passport performs poorly

Increase in visa-free travel destinations: 2006 versus 2022

The dark blue countries have increased the most in the number of destinations their citizens can travel to without a visa or with a visa on arrival. Hover over a country to see the number of destinations it has gained access to since 2006.

How is the ranking calculated?

The Henley Passport Index uses data from the International Air Transport Authority to match 199 passports with 227 possible destinations.

If each destination does not require a visa or a visa on arrival is available, the passport in question will receive a score of 1. If a visa or other form of government approval is required before departure, the passport will receive a score of 1 0.

The scores for each pass are added to its total score (i.e. the number of destinations it grants access to without a prior visa). This is then compared with all other passports to create the index.

interesting insights

Japan has taken the top spot on the index for the fourth year in a row, either alone or jointly with Singapore. This year Singapore will be added again.

Travel Madness/ShutterstockJapan once again tops the list of the most powerful passports in the world

Over the past eight years, the U.S. passport has fallen from first place to sixth place, a position it currently shares with the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand and Belgium.

North Korea has visa-free/visa-free access to 39 destinations. This only includes one country in Europe: Belarus.

RED87PUTRA/SHUTTERSTOCKThe UAE continues its rapid rise

The UAE has continued its remarkable upward trend. In 2022 it takes 15th place in the ranking with 175 points. This is a rapid rise since 2006, when it had just 35 points and 62nd place.

The biggest risers of the last decade have been the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, Georgia and Peru. Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, Libya, Gambia and Sierra Leone fared the worst.

The Most Powerful Passes in the World – Ranking

This article is updated annually with the latest available data.

Main image: Sachiczko/Shutterstock

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