According to Henley Passport Index’s updated rankings, there is a “growing divide in mobility — and the resulting access to opportunities — between citizens in the wealthy global north and those in the lower-income global south”
The most travel-friendly passports in the world for 2022 have been unveiled. In the annual Henley & Partners’ Henley Passport Index of 199 nations, Japan and Singapore have once again topped the list.
The index ranks all passports based on the number of visa-free places they allow their holders to visit. The website states, “It is updated in real time throughout the year, as and when visa policy changes take effect.”
According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), bearers of the top two passports — Japan and Singapore — can travel to 192 countries without a visa.
This indicates that, in the absence of any Covid limitations, citizens of these two countries can travel to 166 more countries than citizens of Afghanistan, which is placed 111th.
South Korea is tied with Germany in second place (with a score of 190) and Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain are on the third spot (with a score of 189).
While EU countries continue to dominate the top of the ranking, with France, the Netherlands, and Sweden jumping one point to join Austria and Denmark in fourth place (with a score of 188), India has climbed seven spots to rank 83, up from 90th last year. As a result, it can now enter 60 nations without a visa.
Ireland and Portugal are ranked fifth and sixth, respectively (with a score of 187).
There is a “increasing disparity in mobility — and the associated access to opportunities” between individuals in the wealthy global north and those in the lower-income global south, according to the latest rankings.
“Japanese, Swedish, and US passport holders can visit more than 180 destinations without a visa, whereas citizens of Angola, Cameroon, and Laos can visit only about 50,” it reads.
The ‘best passports’ to hold in 2022 are:
1. Japan, Singapore (192 destinations)
2. Germany, South Korea (190)
3. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189)
4. Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Sweden (188)
5. Ireland, Portugal (187)
6. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States (186)
7. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185)
8. Poland, Hungary (183)
9. Lithuania, Slovakia (182)
10. Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia (181)
The ‘worst passports’ to hold are
Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to fewer than 40 countries. These include:
104. North Korea (39 destinations)
105. Nepal and Palestinian territories (37)
106. Somalia (34)
107. Yemen (33)
108. Pakistan (31)
109. Syria (29)
110. Iraq (28)
111. Afghanistan (26)