Singapore has the world’s strongest passport — once more, in keeping with the newest Henley Passport Index.
The rating, launched Tuesday, reveals the small nation-state retaining the highest spot within the index, after it broke a six-way tie for the accolade earlier this yr.
In 2024, Singapore shared the highest rating with Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
The newest rating reveals Japan and South Korea tied for second place, with the opposite former No. 1 contenders tied for third place with Denmark, Finland and Eire.
The Henley Passport Index is a broadly adopted rating of worldwide passports, which assesses passport power by one metric — the variety of locations holders can go to while not having to acquire a previous visa. The index ranks international locations in keeping with information offered by the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation, it stated.
The rating focuses primarily on ease of journey, whereas one other rating carefully monitored by CNBC Journey, the Nomad Passport Index, ranks passports by 5 standards, together with taxation, and is extra centered on international citizenship.
Henley’s newest rating reveals the U.S. passport slipping to tenth place from ninth.The UK’s passport additionally moved down the checklist, touchdown in sixth place from fifth, it confirmed.
This represents a continuation of a “long-term downward development” for the 2 international locations — each of which had been as soon as thought of essentially the most highly effective passports on this planet, in keeping with Henley & Companions.
“Notably, the U.S. is now getting ready to exiting the Prime 10 altogether for the primary time within the index’s 20-year historical past,” the corporate stated in a press release.
The highest 10 checklist reveals a rating largely dominated by European international locations, however led by three key Asian economies:
1 Singapore
2. Japan
2. South Korea
3. Denmark
3. Finland
3. France
3. Germany
3. Eire
3. Italy
3. Spain
4. Austria
4. Belgium
4. Luxembourg
4. Netherlands
4. Norway
4. Portugal
4. Sweden
5. Greece
5. New Zealand
5. Switzerland
6. United Kingdom
7. Australia
7. Czechia
7. Hungary
7. Malta
7. Poland
8. Canada
8. Estonia
8. United Arab Emirates
9. Croatia
9. Latvia
9. Slovakia
9. Slovenia
10. Iceland
10. Lithuania
10. United States
Singaporeans can entry 193 international locations while not having a visa, whereas the international locations tied for the tenth spot can entry 182, in keeping with the rating.
Greatest movers
India’s passport jumped essentially the most of any nation up to now six months, rising to 77th from eighty fifth, in keeping with Henley & Companions.
An evaluation of the rating over the previous decade confirmed the UAE rising 34 locations within the rating, the corporate stated. It’s the solely “large riser” to interrupt into the highest 10 throughout this time, it stated.
China additionally rose 34 spots up to now 10 years, the corporate stated, a transfer it referred to as “significantly spectacular” contemplating that China does not have visa-free entry to Europe’s Schengen Space.
Afghanistan’s passport remained in final place on the checklist, granting visa-free entry to simply 25 international locations worldwide, the corporate stated.
