These are the world’s most powerful passports in 2023

The most recent Henley Passport Index results offer fascinating insights into a world defined by remarkable upheaval and offer a compelling glimpse at what lies ahead as we begin a new year. Japan tops the index, which rates all 199 passports in the world depending on how many places their holders can visit without a previous visa, for the sixth consecutive year. The score is based only on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

World’s Best Economy Class Airlines 2022(Opens in a new browser tab)

Japanese citizens currently have access to an astonishing 193 of the world’s 227 visa-free locations, while South Korean and Singaporean nationals, who are tied for second place, have a score of 192 for their countries’ visa-free/visa-on-arrival policies. With visa-free travel to 190 countries globally, Germany and Spain are tied for third place. The UK and the US remain in 6th and 7th places, with scores of 187 and 186, respectively, and appear increasingly unlikely to regain the top spot they jointly held nearly a decade ago.

Here are the world’s 10 most powerful passports for 2023:

1. Japan (193 destinations)
2. Singapore, South Korea (192 destinations)
3. Germany, Spain (190 destinations)
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189 destinations)
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188 destinations)
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 destinations)
7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States, Czech Republic (186 destinations)
8. Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta (185 destinations)
9. Hungary, Poland (184 destinations)
10. Lithuania, Slovakia (183 destinations)