THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
January 26, 2024 at 08:00 JST
A Japanese passport (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Japan is back on top after being declared to have one of the most powerful passports in the world alongside five other countries, according to British consulting firm Henley & Partners.
It is "unprecedented" that as many as six countries shared the top ranking, the company said.
The firm publishes the Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries and regions according to the number of destinations their passport holders can travel to without a visa. The index is released every three months based on data from the International Air Transport Association.
The latest index covers 199 passports and 227 destinations.
It shows that Japanese passport holders are exempt from needing visas to enter 194 countries and regions.
Japan was pushed out of the top spot in the previous survey released in July 2023, falling to third place.
Japan has been vying with Singapore for the top spot in recent years.
The 2024 edition sees Japan sharing first place with Singapore, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Second place was shared among Finland, South Korea and Sweden, giving their passport holders access to 193 destinations without a visa.
Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands tied for third with visa-free access to 192 destinations.
The United Arab Emirates has swiftly climbed the rankings, with its passport holders able to visit 183 countries and regions without a visa. Ranked 11th, it has added 106 destinations since 2014, when the Middle Eastern country was ranked 55th.
Ukraine, which is in 32nd place with 148 visa-free destinations, and China, which ranks 62nd with 85 destinations, have also improved their rankings in the past decade.
Christian Kaelin, the chairman of the consulting firm, said that while freedom of travel continues to improve globally, the gap between the top- and bottom-ranking passports has never been wider.
Afghanistan is at the bottom of the rankings with 28 visa-free destinations. Other low-ranking countries and regions include North Korea with 42 and the Palestinian autonomous territory with 40.
The average number of destinations passport holders can visit without a visa has nearly doubled, from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024.
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