The 5 most powerful passports in the world

Discover which countries hold the world’s strongest passports in 2023, according to the annual Henley Passport Index. The London-based global citizenship and residence advice firm Henley & Partners compiles the list. 

Ranking criteria

Henley & Partners uses data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) to make the list. The ranking is based on the number of visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel destinations.

The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. It is updated every 3 months.

Many people use it to see how powerful their passport is for traveling.

Henley & Partners has made the list for 18 years. 

List of the most powerful passports

According to Henley & Partners’s Global Passport ranking 2023 (Q1), the strongest passports in the world are: 

1. Japan  & Singapore

Visa-free access to 193 countries.

For the fifth year in a row, the Japanese Passport has been ranked as the World’s Most Powerful Passport. Japanese passport is considered one of the strongest due to factors such as good relationships with other countries, well-behaved citizens who follow immigration laws and do not cause trouble, and a positive economic impact of the country. 

Singapore belongs to the top of the global passport ranking due to its good diplomatic relations with many countries, strong economy, respected and recognized passport, low corruption levels, efficient bureaucracy, and effective governance. As a relatively young country, Singapore has little cultural baggage.

2. South Korea

Visa-free access to 192 countries.

3. Germany & Spain 

Visa-free access to 191 countries.

4. Finland, Italy & Luxembourg

Visa-free access to 190 countries.

5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands & Sweden

Visa-free access to 189 countries.

The United States is ranked 7th in terms of passport strength among major powers, while China is ranked 64th, Russia 51st, and India 82nd.