Climbing the Global Passport Rankings
Amid concerns about international isolation during wartime and attempts to detain IDF soldiers abroad, there is good news: Israel’s passport has risen from 21st to 19th place on the Henley Passport Index. This marks its debut among the top 20 strongest passports globally. The unexpected jump is attributed to the removal of U.S. visa requirements for Israelis two years ago. This change granted Israelis access to five additional destinations: Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa—all U.S. territories. The Henley Passport Index assigns scores to countries based on their citizens’ freedom of movement worldwide.
The Global Rankings
According to the index, Singapore holds the top spot as the world’s strongest passport, with visa-free access to 195 destinations. Japan ranks second with 193 destinations, benefiting from reopening its borders to China after the pandemic.
While Israel climbed two places in the rankings, European powerhouses like France, Germany, Italy, and Spain dropped to third place, alongside Finland and South Korea, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations.
Top 10 Strongest Passports:
1. Singapore (195 destinations)
2. Japan (193)
3. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, South Korea (192)
4. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden (191)
5. Belgium, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, UK (190)
6. Australia, Greece (189)
7. Canada, Malta, Poland (188)
8. Czech Republic, Hungary (187)
9. USA, Estonia (186)
10. UAE, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia (185)
At the bottom of the list, Afghanistan ranks last, with access to only 26 destinations, marking the largest gap between passports—169 fewer destinations than Singapore.
