According to the Henley Passport Index for 2024, Singapore has surpassed France, Germany, Italy, and Spain to become the most powerful passport in the world. The ability for holders of Singaporean passports to enter 195 countries visa-free is a notable achievement in global mobility. The rankings now place Singapore at the top, followed by Japan and other highly ranked European countries in second and third place, respectively.
Seven nations—Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden—shared third place in the most recent index and provided visa-free travel to 191 locations. The International Air Transport Association data is used to assess 199 passports for access to 227 travel destinations in the Henley Passport Index, which is published by the London-based immigration consultancy Henley and Partners.
Henley CEO Juerg Steffen underscored the economic importance of visa-free travel, describing it as a vital element for growth, international collaboration, and attracting foreign investment. Following a ten-year decline from its previous top spot, which it shared with the UK, which currently ranks fourth, the US has fallen to eighth place. Afghanistan continues to be the least powerful passport on the list, granting visa-free travel to just 26 nations.
India is ranked 82nd and offers visa-free travel to 58 nations. Remarkably, since November, ties between the Maldives, which are ranked 58th out of 96 countries, and India have gotten worse. China is ranked 59th and allows citizens of 85 countries to enter without a visa.
List of top 10 powerful Passports 2024-
| 1. Singapore (Visa-free access to 195 countries) |
| 2. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain (192 countries) |
| 3. Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden (191 countries) |
| 4. Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom (Visa-free access to 190 countries) |
| 5. Australia and Portugal give its citizens access to 189 countries |
| 6. Greece and Poland give access visa-free access to 188 countries |
| 7. Canada, Czechia, Hungary, and Malta give visa-free access to 187 countries |
| 8. The United States is ranked number 8 on the World's most powerful passport list, and it gives visa-free access to 182 countries. |
| 9. Estonia, Lithuania, and the United Arab Emirates offer their citizens visa-free access to 185 countries. |
| 10. Iceland, Latvia, and Slovakia provide visa-free access to travel to 184 countries. |