Henley&Partners and IATA establish each year the Global Henley Passport Index by classifying 199 passports according to the number of countries to which they give visa-free access. And for the second year runningis the Japanese passport at the top of the list. This opens the doors to 190 destinations out of 227 taken into account.
Singapore and South Korea (189) share second place on the podium, as do Germany and France (188) in third place. The French passport thus maintains its ranking compared with the previous Global Henley Passport Index.
Conversely - as in 2018 - passports issued by the Iraqi and Afghan authorities have a limited scope. Only 30 destinations are accessible to their owners without a visa.
If we look back at previous rankings, some of the developments may be cause for concern. The Henley&Partners study shows that the United Arab Emirates (22nd), Colombia (42nd), Tuvalu (42nd) and China (69th) have moved up five places compared to 2018. The trend is reversed for Anglo-Saxon business travellers: top of the rankings in 2015, the United States and the United Kingdom now occupy sixth place.
While many African countries are still limited in terms of international mobility, Ryan Cummings, Director of Signal Risk, is optimistic: "We're very pleased with the progress made in Africa. Africa is still lagging behind the rest of the world. That said, it is certainly moving in the right direction when it comes to improving visa facilitation. Over the past year, several African countries - including Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia and Senegal - have relaxed visa requirements, with the intention of boosting trade, cooperation and security. "says Ryan Cummings.
