Considering that they’re basically just small stamp-collecting books, passports are pretty powerful. They can mean the difference between gliding through border control, queuing for hours or not being allowed into a country at all. And some of these humble little booklets can get you into a many, many more countries than others.
Every three months, the Henley Passport Index ranks passports from 227 nations based on how many places their citizens can visit without a visa, using data from the International Air Transport Association.
How do UK passports fare, you ask? Following Brexit, the UK’s travel documents went into a six-year decline but finally things are looking up. As of the most recent passport index, Brits are now proud owners of the world’s fourth most powerful passport. Cool, eh?
UK passport holders can now visit 188 out of 227 locations looked at by Henley, including places that can be visited with no passport, by obtaining either a visa, a visitor’s permit or an electronic travel authority on arrival without the need for government approval.
The UK shares spot number four with Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands. Japan has been knocked from the number one spot for the first time in five years down to third place to join Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg and Sweden while Germany, Italy and Spain tied for second.
But the passport that reigns supreme? That would be Singapore, whose citizens are now able to visit 192 nations visa-free. Down at the bottom of the ratings was Afghanistan, where passport holders can only access 27 other countries visa-free. Read more about the full list here.
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