World Passport Rankings: Who's Leading the Way in 2025

In January 2025, Henley & Partners released the updated Henley Passport Index, which evaluates the strength of passports from 199 countries and territories based on the number of visa-free destinations available to their citizens. The index measures the number of countries that citizens can enter without a prior visa, as well as the option for obtaining a visa on arrival or an electronic travel authorization.

Methodology of the Henley & Partners Index

The methodology involves checking each of the 199 passports for access to 227 possible destinations, taking into account various factors such as the purpose of the trip, duration of stay, and document requirements.

When referring to 227 possible destinations, the index includes the number of separate visa-free destinations available to passport holders. This includes not only the 195 recognized countries in the world, but also 32 other territories and entities. A clear example is Hong Kong, which, although part of China, issues its own passport and has separate legislation. Hong Kong citizens can travel to 173 countries, whereas holders of a Chinese passport can travel to only 80.

In addition to special territorial units, the methodology also takes into account overseas departments of major countries (such as the Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Bermuda, and Greenland) and autonomous entities under their jurisdiction (such as Niue).

The Strongest and Weakest Passports in the World

Top 10 most powerful passports in the world in 2025:

Why did Singapore manage to take the top spot? The answer is simple — its economy. The country is a global leader in the financial sector, hosting the headquarters of international banks, insurance companies, and investment funds. The city-state ranks second in the World Financial Centers Index, just behind New York and London which share the 1st place.

Moreover, according to the International Monetary Fund data for 2025, Singapore has one of the highest GDP per capita figures, at $72,000. Inflation is low, and the country enjoys a high level of employment and stable economic growth.

The importance of the economic factor is not mandatory for countries within a unified bloc, such as the European Union or the Commonwealth of Nations. Typically, countries within these blocs have the ability to travel visa-free among themselves, regardless of their individual economic conditions.

The weakest passports in the world are as follows:

• Afghanistan — 26 countries.
• Syria — 27 countries.
• Iraq — 31 countries.
• Pakistan, Yemen — 33 countries.
• Somalia — 35 countries.

Afghanistan remains in last place with access to only 26 countries, a consequence of over 40 years of instability. Iraq and Syria have been characterized by authoritarian regimes, which led Western countries to impose sanctions, some of which are still in effect today.

Overall, the bottom of the list is dominated by countries with strong economic and political instability, which leads other nations to be reluctant to sign visa-free agreements with them.

Factors Affecting the Ranking

Political events have a significant impact on passport rankings. For example, Brexit led to changes in visa agreements between the UK and EU countries, resulting in the loss of free movement for British citizens within the EU.

Additionally, after the military coup in 2021, the mobility of Myanmar’s citizens significantly decreased. Neighboring countries and major refugee recipients (such as the EU) swiftly restricted visa-free access for them. All of this is taken into account when compiling the ranking and directly affects the positions of passports in the index.