In the list there is a big twist as Europe entered a “wedge” in Asia which has dominated in recent years.
Six countries tie for top spot on the list of the most powerful travel documents for 2024. In a major shake-up to the list, which is updated quarterly, citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain they can enjoy visa -free or visa-on-arrival access to 194 destinations worldwide.
In fact, this figure is the highest recorded since the Henley Passport Index began tracking global travel freedoms 19 years ago.
The index is created by global citizenship and residency consultancy Henley & Partners, based in London, using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Europe overtook Asia in first place
For the past five years, two Asian countries, namely Japan and Singapore , have dominated the top spot, but now the new top five is a triumphant rise for Europe.
Greece is in 5th place
Finland and Sweden are tied with South Korea for second place – with 193 destinations within easy reach – while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands come third (with 192 destinations).
Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom are in 4th place, while Greece, Malta and Switzerland are in 5th place with easy access to 190 destinations.
The United Arab Emirates has climbed the most places in the index over the past decade
Greece ranks 5th in the Henley Passport Index
The gap is wider than ever
The UAE remains the country that has risen the most in the index over the past decade, adding 106 visa-free destinations since 2014 and gaining 11th place this year.
However, as Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the Passport Index, notes, while the general trend over the past two decades has been toward greater travel liberalization, the global mobility gap between countries that are at the top and base of the table is today larger than ever.
The world’s most powerful passports for 2024
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (194 destinations)
Finland, South Korea, Sweden (193 destinations)
Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (192 destinations)
Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom (193 destinations)
Greece, Malta, Switzerland (190 destinations)
Czech Republic, New Zealand, Poland (189 destinations)
Canada, Hungary, United States (188 destinations)
Estonia, Lithuania (187 destinations)
Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (186 destinations)
Iceland (185 destinations)
Multiple pointers
Another passport index, that of Arton Capital , takes into account the passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories – Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Kosovo, the Palestinian territories and the Vatican, while excluding territories annexed by other countries.
The index is updated in real time throughout the year, but its data is collected by closely monitoring individual government portals. It’s a tool “for people who travel to provide accurate, easily accessible information about their travel needs,” Arton Capital founder Armand Arton told CNN in 2022.
Arton’s Global Passport Power Rank 2024 places the UAE in first place, ranking 180 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations.
As for the second place, it is occupied by five European countries: Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the Netherlands.
Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland are in 3rd place. Greece, as in the Henley Passport Index, is in 5th place together with Norway, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Hungary and South Korea, while the USA is in 6th place.
Arton Capital’s 2023 index noted the rise of global mobility, declaring Albania its “rising star”.
In the 5th position of the Global Passport Power Rank 2024 index, Greece
Greece remained stable in terms of increase compared to the previous year.