UK and Ukraine move up the 2022 passport ranks as Russia falls behind

Revealed: Japan and Singapore still have most powerful passports in world, while the UK moves UP to 5th, US sits in 6th, Russia falls to 49th, and Ukraine reaches a record high

• Passport holders in Japan and Singapore can visit 192 countries visa-free
• Germany and South Korea finish second in the Henley Passport Index ranking  
• Scroll to the bottom of the story for the full global ranking

Japan and Singapore continue to hold the world’s most powerful passports, a new global ranking has revealed, as their citizens can visit 192 countries visa-free.

The ranking also reveals that Ukraine has a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 143, a ‘record high’ for the country, and now ranks in 34th place, climbing up one spot since January. Russia trails behind in 49th place, with a score of 117, falling from 46th earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the UK passport has climbed the ranks from 6th place to 5th with a visa-free score of 187, while the US passport is one step behind in 6th place with a score of 186.

Japan and Singapore continue to hold the world’s most powerful passports, according to a new ranking produced by the Henley Passport Index

The UK passport has climbed the ranks from 6th place to 5th with a visa-free score of 187

The ranking has been produced by the Henley Passport Index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It analyses how many countries a passport holder can enter without a prior visa.

Germany and South Korea remain in second place overall, with passport holders able to travel to 190 destinations without a visa.

Third place is shared between Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain, with their passport holders able to access 189 destinations around the world without having to acquire a visa in advance.

Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the ranking with its nationals only able to access 26 destinations visa-free. 

Ukraine has a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 143, a record high for the country, and now ranks in 34th place 

According to The Henley Passport Index, the latest passport ranking shows that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has led to millions of Ukrainians fleeing to neighbouring countries, has had a ‘profound and perhaps irreversible impact on freedom of movement within the region as a new Iron Curtain descends’.  

In response to Russia’s actions, the EU and the US closed their airspaces to Russian air carriers, and travel bans were imposed on individual Russian citizens. According to a statement accompanying the 2022 passport index results, such restrictions are ‘effectively condemning the Russian passport to junk status throughout much of the developed world’.

Russia’s sliding position in the ranking is likely to drop even further in the months to come, according to the report’s findings.  

With a score of 117, the Russian passport ranks in 49th place, dropping from 46th place earlier this year

Commenting on the ranking, Dr Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says: ‘As the value of the Russian passport rapidly declines and the world opens its doors to Ukrainians, it is abundantly clear that the passport you hold determines your fate and dramatically impacts the opportunities you have.

‘While it is impossible to predict what the world will look like in the shadow of a new Cold War, the latest index suggests that the divide between Russia and much of the Western world will only increase.’

For more information, visit www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index. 

THE HENLEY PASSPORT POWER INDEX GLOBAL RANKING 2022

1 Japan 192 visa-free countries

1 Singapore 192

2 Germany 190

2 South Korea 190

3 Finland 189

3 Italy 189

3 Luxembourg 189

3 Spain 189

4 Austria 188

4 Denmark 188

4 Netherlands 188 

4 Sweden 188 

5 France 187  

5 Ireland 187

5 Portugal 187

5 United Kingdom 187 

6 Belgium 186

6 New Zealand 186

6 Norway 186

6 Switzerland 186 

6 United States 186

7 Australia 185

7 Canada 185

7 Czech Republic 185

7 Greece 185

7 Malta 185

8 Hungary 183

9 Poland 182

9 Lithuania 182

9 Slovakia 182

10 Estonia 181

10 Latvia 181

10 Slovenia 181

11 Iceland 180

12 Malaysia 179

13 Liechtenstein 178

14 Cyprus 176

15 United Arab Emirates 175

16 Chile 174

16 Monaco 174

16 Romania 174

17 Bulgaria 173

17 Croatia 173

18 Hong Kong (SAR China) 171

19 Argentina 170

20 Brazil 169

20 San Marino 169

21 Andorra 168

22 Brunei 166

23 Barbados 162

24 Israel 159

24 Mexico 159

25 St. Kitts and Nevis 156

26 Bahamas 155

27 Uruguay 153

27 Vatican City 153

28 Seychelles 152

29 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 151

30 Antigua and Barbuda 150

30 Costa Rica 150

30 Trinidad and Tobago 150

31 Mauritius 146

31 St. Lucia 146

32 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) 145

33 Dominica 144

33 Grenada 144

33 Macao (SAR China) 144

34 Ukraine 143 

35 Panama 142

36 Paraguay 141  

37 Serbia 136

38 Peru 135 

39 El Salvador 134  

40 Guatemala 133

40 Honduras 133

41 Colombia 131

41 Samoa 131

41 Solomon Islands 131

42 Tonga 129

42 Venezuela 129

43 Nicaragua 127

43 Tuvalu 127

44 North Macedonia 125

45 Kiribati 123

45 Montenegro 123

46 Marshall Islands 122

47 Moldova 120

48 Palau Islands 119

49 Russian Federation 117

49 Bosnia and Herzegovina 117

49 Micronesia 117

50 Georgia 115

51 Albania 114

52 Turkey 110

53 South Africa 104

54 Belize 101

55 Qatar 98

55 Vanuatu 98 

56 Kuwait 95   

57 Timor-Leste 93 

58 Ecuador 91

59 Nauru 89

60 Fiji 88

60 Maldives 88

61 Guyana 87

62 Botswana 86

62 Jamaica 86

63 Bahrain 84

64 Papua New Guinea 82

65 Oman 80 

66 China 79 

66 Bolivia 79

66 Saudi Arabia 79

66 Thailand 79

67 Namibia 78 

68 Belarus 77  

68 Lesotho 77

68 Suriname 77

69 Kazakhstan 75

70 eSwatini 74

71 Malawi 73

72 Kenya 72

72 Tanzania 72

73 Indonesia 71

73 Tunisia 71

73 Zambia 71

74 Dominican Republic 70

75 Azerbaijan 69

76 Gambia 68

77 Uganda 67

78 Cape Verde Islands 66

78 Philippines 66

79 Armenia 65

79 Zimbabwe 65

80 Cuba 64

80 Ghana 64

80 Morocco 64

81 Kyrgyzstan 63

81 Sierra Leone 63

82 Mozambique 62

83 Benin 61

83 Mongolia 61

83 Rwanda 61

84 India 60

84 Sao Tome and Principe 60

85 Mauritania 59

85 Tajikistan 59

86 Burkina Faso 58

87 Gabon 57

87 Uzbekistan 57

88 Cote d’Ivoire 56

88 Senegal 56

89 Equatorial Guinea 55

89 Madagascar 55

90 Guinea 54

90 Mali 54

90 Togo 54

90 Vietnam 54

91 Bhutan 53

91 Cambodia 53

91 Chad 53

91 Comores Islands 53

91 Niger 53

92 Algeria 52

92 Central African Republic 52

92 Egypt 52

92 Guinea-Bissau 52

92 Jordan 52

92 Turkmenistan 52

93 Burundi 51

94 Angola 50

94 Cameroon 50

94 Laos 50

95 Liberia 49

96 Congo (Rep.) 48

96 Haiti 48

97 Djibouti 47

98 Myanmar 46

99 Ethiopia 45

99 Nigeria 45

100 South Sudan 44

101 Eritrea 43

102 Congo (Dem. Rep.) 42

102 Iran 42

103 Lebanon 41

103 Sri Lanka 41

103 Sudan 41

104 Bangladesh 40

104 Kosovo 40

104 Libya 40

105 North Korea 39

106 Nepal 37

106 Palestinian Territory 37

107 Somalia 34

108 Yemen 33

109 Pakistan 31

110 Syria 29

111 Iraq 28

112 Afghanistan 26 

Source: Henley Passport Index

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