Henley Passport Index 2022 was recently released. The latest edition shows record-breaking levels of travel freedom for the top-ranking countries, Japan and Singapore.
Key Findings of the report
- The report also reveals that, there was the widest recorded global mobility gap since the index was created 17 years ago.
- Passport holders of two Asian nations, Japan and Singapore, can now enter 192 destinations worldwide visa-free. It is 166 more than Afghanistan.
- Afghanistan has been listed at the bottom of this index.
India’s Passport Power
As per the Index, in first quarter of 2022, India has improved its passport power. India has climbed seven places up and has been ranked at 83rd position. In 2021, it was ranked at 90th position. Now, India has access to 60 countries without a prior visa. In 2021, visa free scope was valid for just 58 countries. Oman and Armenia have been recently added to the list of prior visa requirement.
Best Passports to hold in 2022
- Japan and Singapore have been ranked 1st, with passport holders have accessibility of 192 destinations visa-free.
- Germany and South Korea have been placed at 2nd position, with passport holders able to access 190 destinations visa-free.
- Finland, Italy, Spain and Luxembourg shared 3rd place with a score of 189.
- Austria, Denmark, Sweden, France and Netherlands at 4th place, with visa-free score of 188.
- Passports of US and UK regained their previous strength and now placed at the 6th place with visa-free or visa-on-arrival score of 186. In 2020, they had slipped to 8th place, lowest in 17-year history of the index.
Worst passports to hold in 2022
- North Korea have been ranked at 104th spot with access to 39 destinations.
- Nepal and Palestinian territories are at 105th spot, with the score of 37.
- Pakistan have been ranked at 108th position with score of 31.
- Afghanistan with access to just 26 countries, emerged as the worst performer.
The Henley Passport Index
The index provide ranking to 199 passports in accordance with the number of destinations their holders can access visa-free or visa-on-arrival. The index is updated in real time throughout the year. It is prepared on the basis of exclusive data provided by International Air Transport Association (IATA).