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The world’s most powerful passport has changed for the first time in five years.

Japan has been knocked off the top spot for the world’s most powerful passport for the first time in five years.

Singapore has taken first place on the latest Henley Passport Index 2023 rankings.

Singaporeans enjoy visa-free access to 192 travel destinations out of 227 worldwide.

With Japan falling to third place, three European countries tie in second place: Germany, Italy and Spain with visa-free access to 190 destinations.

How does the Henley Passport Index rank passports?

The Henley Passport Index ranks the world’s most powerful passports and is updated quarterly.

It is based on the number of destinations passport holders can access without a visa.

Global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to rank the world’s 199 passports. The index has been running for 18 years.

Countries score one point for every destination they can visit visa-free. This applies if citizens can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor's permit or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.

No points are awarded for destinations where a visa is required or the passport holder has to obtain a government approved e-visa before departure.

Which countries have the most powerful passports?

At the start of 2023, Japan held the top spot with visa-free access to 193 countries.

That has now dropped to 189 countries, leaving Singapore in first place. The country has gained visa-free access to an additional 25 over the past 10 years, pushing it five places up the ranking.

The top 10 is rounded out by:

2. Germany, Italy and Spain

3. Japan, Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea and Sweden

4. Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands and the UK

5. Belgium, Czechia, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland

6. Australia, Hungary and Poland

7. Canada and Greece

8. Lithuania and the USA

9. Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia

10. Estonia and Iceland

The UK has risen the ranks from sixth to fourth place for the first time since 2017.

The USA, meanwhile, has continued its 10-year decline, falling a further two spots to eighth place. The country has seen the smallest increase in its score of any in the rankings over the past decade.

In 2014, the UK and USA jointly held first place.

Source: CNBC