Has it ever crossed your mind that what country passport is recognized as dominant or strong? Here’s our list of the world’s strongest passports based on the reports issued in 2021. So let’s dig in.
London-based global citizenship and resident advice business Henley & Partners said there has never been a moment when the global disparity in travel freedoms has been as great as it is today.
List of 10 Strongest Passports in the World 2021
Passports are ranked according to how many nations their holders can travel to without the need for a visa. The companies assess these passports based on the data laid down by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The Henley Passport Index professes to be the “original ranking of all the world’s passports” even though there are several organizations that produce statistics on powerful passports.
According to Henley’s Q4 Global Mobility report-
“The global mobility gap is at its widest point ever and continues to expand due to proliferating barriers to entry erected since the outbreak of the pandemic”. Many countries in the global south have relaxed their borders in a concerted effort to revive their economies but there has been very little reciprocity from countries in the global north, which have enforced some of the most stringent inbound Covid-19-related travel restrictions. Even fully vaccinated travelers from countries at the lower end of the Henley Passport Index remain locked out of most of the developed world.”
We’ve mentioned the names of a few countries with their respective ranks and scores-
| Rank | Name of the Country | Score |
| 1 | Japan, Singapore | 192 |
| 2 | Germany, South Korea | 190 |
| 3 | Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain | 189 |
| 4 | Austria, Denmark | 188 |
| 5 | France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden | 187 |
| 6 | Belgium, New Zealand, Switzerland | 186 |
| 7 | Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, Norway, United Kingdom, United States | 185 |
| 8 | Australia, Canada | 184 |
| 9 | Hungary | 183 |
| 10 | Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia | 182 |
Assuming that the index doesn’t consider temporary restrictions, bearers of Japan and Singaporean passports can theoretically travel visa-free to 192 places.
Two countries in the top two spots have more destinations for their citizens than Afghanistan does. 26 nations around the world do not require an advance visa for Afghan citizens. At this time, the Index has information on 227 different locations and 199 different passport types around the globe.
Christian H. Kaelin, the founder of passport index and chair of Henley & Partners said-
“These decisions could have far-reaching consequences. 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.” “Resourceful countries need to futureproof their economies by attracting and welcoming the upcoming generation.”
The top spots in the list are again dominated by European nations with Denmark and Austria ranking fourth while the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Ireland, Sweden ranking fifth.
With a rating of 190, Germany and South Korea come in second and third, respectively, while Luxembourg, Spain, Finland, and Italy round out the top ten with a grade of 189. However, if we go lower down the top 10, we will not notice a significant difference in the list of names.
New Zealand, which is ranked sixth, just revealed that it is abandoning its Covid-19 eradication campaign in favor of a vaccination certificate system ranking. With a score of 186, Belgium and Switzerland are tied for sixth place.
Formerly top-ranking countries such as the United Kingdom, and the United States who shared the top slot 7 years ago, are now tied for seventh place with Greece, Czech Republic, Norway, and Malta, with a rating of 185.
Even though Japan is placed first, with a rating of 192, there is now a restriction on practically all tourists from other countries in the aftermath of the coronavirus epidemic that rocked the whole globe as a precautionary step to stop the Coronavirus from spreading.
Egypt, which is now ranked 97th on the list, does not have any travel restrictions. Egyptians are only expected to fly visa-free to 51 countries throughout the world. Kenya, ranked 77th, is another country in South Africa that does not have any travel restrictions. Kenyan passport holders can visit 72 countries without needing to ask for a visa ahead of time.
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