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The Henley Passport Index ranks international locations primarily based on their means to go to 199 international locations on the planet with no visa. Topping the passport energy checklist are Japan and Singapore.
Japan and Singapore passport holders can journey to 192 of the 199 international locations ranked with out ready for a visa.
German residents maintain probably the most highly effective passport in Europe and are in a position to go to 190 international locations with out visa restrictions.
South Korea tied with Germany in second place and is the third nation in Asia to supply its nationals a really highly effective passport.
Spain, Italy, Finland and Luxembourg tied for third place, with passport holders of these nations in a position to go to 189 international locations with no visa.
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TRAVEL: Passport energy
The UK was ranked in seventh place on the facility index, tied with Greece, Malta, Norway and the USA. UK passport holders can go to 185 locations with ease.
The UK’s passport is much less highly effective than neighbouring international locations France and Eire the place passport holders can journey to 187 international locations.
In 2015, the UK’s passport was ranked probably the most highly effective on the planet however started to slip post-Brexit and got here third in 2016.
Henley & Companions, the funding advisory agency that created the index, mentioned that COVID-19 restrictions had a big impression on international passport energy in 2021.
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Whereas many international locations within the international north with excessive energy rating passports enforced strict pandemic entry guidelines, many international locations within the international south didn’t.
Henley & Companions mentioned this had widened the hole in passport energy between these with the least highly effective passport and people with probably the most.
Afghanistan was ranked because the least highly effective passport. Afghanistan passport holders can go to 26 international locations with out visa restrictions.
Iraq had the second least highly effective passport with doc holders in a position to go to 28 international locations with out ready for a visa.
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TRAVEL: Passport energy
Henley& Companions mentioned: “The newest outcomes and analysis from the Henley Passport Index present how proliferating limitations to entry over the previous 18 months of the pandemic have resulted within the widest international mobility hole in its 16-year historical past.”
Many international locations nonetheless have pandemic entry restrictions in place. Japan, the nation with probably the most highly effective passport, at present bars virtually all international nationals from visiting.
Germany, which got here in second place, at present has entry restrictions in opposition to practically 100 international locations.
Specialists mentioned the UK’s latest lifting of restrictions would do little to shut the widening hole of passport inequality.
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TRAVEL: Baggage
Hannah White, deputy director of the Institute for Authorities, a London suppose tank, mentioned: “The course of journey has been in direction of higher freedoms, however ongoing necessities for costly exams and quarantine for these vaccinated exterior the UK, and the absence of an accepted worldwide vaccination certification scheme, proceed to rule out visits for a lot of worldwide travellers, restrict short-term worldwide journey for UK residents, and doubtlessly trigger points for UK residents vaccinated in non-approved international locations.”
It’s anticipated that many international locations will quickly require guests to be double-vaccinated to enter which may additionally impression international passport energy rankings.
The Henley Passport Index is launched each quarter and ranks international locations primarily based on their passport’s energy.
High 10 strongest passports
- Japan (192)
- Singapore (192)
- Germany (190)
- South Korea (190)
- Finland (189)
- Italy (189)
- Luxembourg (189)
- Spain (189)
- Austria (188)
- Denmark (188)