Don’t be surprised to find Japanese travelers almost everywhere in the world. The Japanese passport is now the globe’s most powerful based on a recently updated list of the Henley Passport Index.
Holders of the passport can now enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 189 destinations across six continents. That is a record number, the highest since the index started tracking passport accessibility.
By that, the Japanese passport has displaced Singaporean passport, which now occupies the second spot in the ranking along with German passport. Both can be used without prior visa when going to 188 destinations.
- Here are the rest of the top 10 most powerful passports in the world today:
1. Japan – 189 destinations
2. Germany, Singapore – 188
3. Finland, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Sweden – 187
4. Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, U.K., U.S. – 186
5. Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland – 185
6. Australia, Greece – 183
7. Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand – 182
8. Iceland – 181
9. Hungary, Malaysia, Slovenia – 180
10. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia – 179
- The Philippine passport is at No. 70 as it can currently access 63 destinations without prior visa. It is the seventh most powerful passport in Southeast Asia:
1. Singapore
2. Malaysia
3. Brunei
4. Timor Leste
5. Thailand
6. Indonesia
7. Philippines
8. Cambodia
9. Laos
10. Vietnam
- Meanwhile, here are the least powerful passports in the world:
100. Afghanistan, Iraq – 30 destinations
99. Somalia, Syria
98. Pakistan
97. Yemen
96. Eritrea, Palestinian Territory, Sudan
95. Nepal
94. Bangladesh, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan
93. Ethiopia, Sri Lanka
92. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, North Korea
91. Kosovo
The Henley Passport Index is based on information from the International Air Transport Association, which keeps the biggest travel database in the world. The list is also supplemented by additional research. It surveys 199 passports against 227 travel destinations—including countries, territories, and even micro-states globally.