The US passport ranks as weak as the passport of Mexico, according to the latest report by The Henley Passport Index, which periodically assesses the world’s most travel-friendly passports.
Before the onset of Covid-19, air traffic had been steadily increasing for decades, and the average US passport-holder had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 107 global destinations.
However, faced with travel bans and the US having the highest number of Coronavirus cases, Japan and Singapore now occupy the top positions in the passport rankings, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the most countries globally.
Japan holds the first position with access to 191 destinations, while Singapore follows in second place with a score of 190. South Korea and Germany are tied for third place with a score of 189.
The standard ranking does not account for temporary bans. Henley & Partners mentioned in a release, “It is eye-opening to consider what travel freedom currently looks like for the holders of once-prestigious passports.”
Last week, the EU announced a list of 14 countries whose residents would be allowed entry into the EU from July 1, which included a ban on the US but allowed entry for Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Canada.
The United States, currently placed seventh in the official index, alongside Brazil and Russia, is banned from entering the EU.
Under the current EU ban, Americans now have a similar level of travel freedom as citizens of Mexico (No. 25 on the Henley Passport Index, with a score of 159) and Uruguay (No. 28, with a score of 153).
Christian H. Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, believes that the impact of the EU’s recent decision will be far-reaching. “As we have already seen, the pandemic’s impact on travel freedom has been more drastic and long-lasting than initially anticipated. This latest decision by the EU indicates that there is more upheaval to come.”
According to the index, the best passports to hold in 2020 are:
1. Japan (191 destinations)
2. Singapore (190)
3. South Korea, Germany (189)
4. Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (188)
5. Denmark, Austria (187)
6. Sweden, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland (186)
7. Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium (185)
8. Greece, New Zealand, Malta, Czech Republic (184)
9. Canada, Australia (183)
10. Hungary (181)
The worst passports to hold include:
103. North Korea (access to 39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal, Palestinian Territory (38)
105. Somalia, Yemen (33)
106. Pakistan (32)
107. Syria (29)
108. Iraq (28)
109. Afghanistan (26)
The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year, as and when visa policy changes come into effect.