The latest Henley Passport Index reveals the widest-ever gap in travel freedom as many of the countries with the most powerful travel documents have enacted the most stringent COVID-19-related travel restrictions.
According to the index from Henley & Partners, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ranks the world's passports by the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa, Japan continues to boast the world's most powerful passport, tying Singapore with visa-free access to 192 countries around the world.
Germany and South Korea are tied for second (190), followed by Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain (189). Europe continues to be well-represented at the top, with Austria and Denmark tying for the fourth-most powerful travel document (188), narrowly edging out France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden (187). Meanwhile, the three-way tie for sixth includes Belgium, New Zealand and Switzerland (186).
The United States is tied with the United Kingdom and four other countries-Czech Republic, Greece, Malta and Norway-for the seventh-most powerful passport worldwide, offering holders visa-free access to as many as 185 countries around the world.
On the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan has the least powerful passport worldwide, offering its holders visa-free access to a mere 26 destinations. Iraq (28), Syria (29), Pakistan (31) and Yemen (33) are also among the world's least powerful passports.
Henley & Partners notes that many countries with lower-ranking passports have eased their border restrictions more than 18 months into the pandemic without seeing it reciprocated, resulting in a wide gap in travel freedom. For example, Japan is currently closed to almost all foreign nationals while Germany restricts nearly 100 countries from entry. Meanwhile, Egypt ranks 97th with visa-free access to just 51 countries and yet currently has no travel restrictions in place. Elsewhere in Africa, 77th-ranked Kenya has no bans in place despite the fact that its passport holders can access just 72 destinations visa-free.
"If we want to restart the global economy, it is critical that developed nations encourage inward migration flows, as opposed to persisting with outmoded restrictions," said Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and inventor of the passport index concept. "Resourceful countries need to future-proof their economies by attracting and welcoming the upcoming generation. It is pivotal that advanced nations consider revising their current somewhat exclusive approach to the rest of the world and reform and adapt to overcome the competition and not miss the opportunity to embrace the potential."
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