The Greek passport has jumped up two places and is now the sixth most powerful in the world, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.
Henley Passport Index, compiled by consultancy firm Henley & Partners. It’s based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). According to this data, the primary deciding factor in determining how “powerful” a passport is is how many countries are accessible and visa-free for a nation’s citizens.
Greek passport takes you to 188 visa-free destinations
Greek passport holders have 188 visa-free destinations to choose from, two more compared with the US. The country’s passport shares the spot with Poland.
Singapore passport holders can travel visa-free to a total of 195 locations, more than any other nation. Close behind, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain are tied at second place with visa-free access to 192 destinations globally.
In September 2024, Denmark gained visa-free access to China, bumping it up to third place alongside Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden. These countries enjoy travel to 191 destinations without a visa. Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, and Norway will also soon be granted visa-free access to China, which will increase their respective scores by one point.
While the 35 nations within the top 10 ranking don’t often see dramatic changes, “there are only 16 passports with a rank between 11 and 20, making it a more dynamic group as they fight towards a place in the top ten,” Dominic Volek, Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners, tells Condé Nast Traveler. “Malaysia, Argentina, and Hong Kong have all gone up one point in the ranking since July.”
He adds: “The trend towards increased openness continues with more passports gaining access than losing it.”
US passport holders currently have visa-free access to 186 countries, putting them in eighth place. UK passport holders remain in fourth place, although their visa-free destination score recently dropped to 190 from 191. It has been a decade since the UK and the US jointly held first place on the index in 2014.
World’s most powerful passports for 2024
Singapore (195 locations)
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain (192 locations)
Denmark, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden (191 locations)
Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom (190 locations)
Australia, Portugal (189 locations)
Greece, Poland (188 locations)
Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta (187 locations)
United States (186 locations)
Estonia, Lithuania, United Arab Emirates (185 locations)
Iceland, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (184 locations)
Croatia, Malaysia (183 locations)
Liechtenstein (182 locations)
Cyprus, Monaco (178 locations)
Bulgaria, Romania (177 locations)
Chile (176 locations)
San Marino, Argentina (172 locations)
Andorra, Brazil, Hong Kong (171 locations)
Israel (170 locations)
Brunei (166 locations)
Barbados (165 locations)
