The number of destinations that global travelers can enter without a visa has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024, according to Christian Kaelin, Chairman of the Henley & Partners, who compiles the most powerful passport rankings.
For the past 19 years, the Henley Passport Index, created by the London-based investment immigration advisory firm Henley & Partners, has been monitoring the freedom of 227 countries and regions worldwide. The data is sourced exclusively from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.
In the latest rankings for 2024, Japan leads the pack alongside Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, all tied for second place. Passport holders of these countries can visit 192 destinations visa-free, following Singapore which covers 195 destinations.
Tied for third place are South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, with citizens of these countries able to travel unhindered to 191 destinations.
Tied for fourth place are the UK with New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland (190 destinations).
Australia and Portugal share fifth place (189 destinations), while the US stands alone in eighth place with visa-free access to 186 destinations. The United States consistently ranks in the top ten in the strongest passport rankings.
Notably, China ranks 59th this time, with its passport covering 85 destinations, a decrease of 5 destinations from the previous ranking; Hong Kong ranks 18th, with its passport covering 170 destinations; and Taiwan ranks 33rd, allowing Taiwanese citizens visa-free access to 141 destinations.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), nearly 5 billion people are expected to take to the skies on 39 million flights this year.
The Henley Passport Index is one of several indices created by financial firms that rank global passports according to the access they provide to citizens.
The Arton Capital Passport Index considers passports from 193 United Nations member states and six territories (Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Kosovo, Palestinian Territories, and the Vatican). Territories associated with other countries are not included.
The passport index is updated in real-time throughout the year, with data collected by closely monitoring the websites of various governments. Arton Capital founder Armand Arton told CNN in 2022 that it is a tool “to provide travelers with accurate and convenient information to meet their travel needs.”
According to Arton Capital’s “2024 Global Passport Power Rankings,” the United Arab Emirates ranks first with a score of 179 for visa-free/on-arrival access. However, in the Henley Passport Index, the UAE ties with Estonia and Lithuania for 9th place, with passports covering 185 destinations. Iceland, Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia jointly rank in 10th place, with visa-free access to 184 destinations.
In the Arton Capital ranking, Spain comes in second place with 178 points, while France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, and Switzerland tie for third place, each scoring 177 points.