The most powerful passport in the world in 2023

Having a passport from Japan, Singapore or South Korea allows free access to over 190 countries without the need to obtain a visa in advance or on arrival. On the other hand, if this document is from Afghanistan or Iraq, there are less than 30 countries to which these citizens can travel freely

A trio of Asian passports: Japan, Singapore and South Korea constitute the most powerful passports for traveling the world during the year 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index, a quarterly report released by United Kingdom residency and global citizenship consultancy, Henley & Partners, based in London and with a large experience on this kind of reports.

The data, presented during this month of January, reveal that citizens with Japanese nationality top the list, as they enjoy the possibility of traveling without the need for a visa to 193 countries worldwide, followed by Singapore and South Korea, whose citizens can freely visit 192 countries.

The consultant Henley & Partners notes in this report that at a time when Asia-Pacific is recovering from the restrictions imposed by the Covid.19 pandemic, it is expected that citizens who are part of these countries will once again have freedom and desire to travel. The document also points out that globally, international travel stands at 75% of pre-pandemic levels, supporting this statement based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

After the trio of Asian countries and according to the Henley Passport Index, Europe comes with a tie between Spain and Germany – where citizens can freely visit 190 countries – followed by Italy, Finland and Luxembourg, which offer the possibility of traveling to 189 countries without visa need.

The following places remain in Europe: Austria, Denmark, Holland and Sweden, tied for 5th place with the possibility of traveling to 188 destinations, which are joined by Portugal, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom with 187 countries with their doors open to tourists from these nationalities. The report also mentions the worst countries in terms of freedom to travel, but for now, follow the table of the best passports according to the Henley Passport Index

The best passports in the world 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. Portugal, France, Ireland, 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)

The Henley Passport Index classifies 199 countries with the number of destinations to which their holders have access without the need for a prior visa and is updated throughout the year and in real time, due to legislative changes on visas, introduced in each country. This Henley & Partner listing serves as the basis for several financial market companies to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.

The worst passports in the world in 2023 are, for Henley & Partner, those who are not free to travel without prior access to a visa or, alternatively, a visa on arrival in the country of destination and is led by Afghanistan with access to 27 countries. Iraq and Syria follow.

The worst passports in the world for 2023

1. Afghanistan (27 destinations)
2. Iraq (29 destinations)
3. Syria (30 destinations)
4. Pakistan (32 destinations)
5. Yemen (34 destinations)
6. Somalia (35 destinations)
7. Nepal, Palestinian territory (38 destinations)
8. North Korea (40 destinations)