World
World's most, least powerful passports; Pakistan ranks 4th worst globally
According to the Henley Passport Index 2022, the Pakistani passport has been ranked as the fourth worst passport for international travel for third consecutive year.
Japan and Singapore once again held the two most powerful passports in the world for 2022, according to the Henley Passport Index.
Based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), holders of the passports at the top — Japan and Singapore — are able to travel visa-free to 192 countries.
The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa—using data from the IATA to compile its rankings.
Japan and Singapore passport holders are able to enter 192 different destinations around the world without a visa, followed by Germany and South Korea, which tied for second place with score of 190 destinations visa-free.
Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain are on the third spot with access to 189 destinations visa-free.
In the meantime, European Union (EU) countries also dominate the top of the list as usual, with France, Netherlands and Sweden climbing one spot up to join Austria and Denmark in fourth place.
Ireland and Portugal are in fifth place (with a score of 187).
The United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) tied for sixth place with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 186 destinations.
While some countries rose in the rankings, the company said this year's index also showed the widest gap in global mobility since it was founded 17 years ago.
In comparison with the countries at the top, passport holders from some countries, at the bottom of the list, can access 166 fewer destinations to enter without requiring a visa.
World’s ‘least powerful passports’
Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to fewer than 40 countries. These include:
- North Korea (39 destinations)
- Nepal and Palestinian territories (37)
- Somalia (34)
- Yemen (33)
- Pakistan (31)
- Syria (29)
- Iraq (28)
- Afghanistan (26)