France, Germany, Italy and Spain no longer hold the world’s most powerful passports

Having a Singapore passport means getting visa-free entry to a record 195 global destinations, putting the city state at the top on the Henley Passport Index. The four European countries, which held the No. 1 spot earlier in the year, are now in second place along with Japan.

Seven nations take the third spot for the first time. Passport holders from Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden can enter 191 places hassle-free.

The ranking, published by London-based immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, uses data from the International Air Transport Association to rank 199 passports’ access to 227 travel destinations. 

“The ability to travel visa-free to a wide array of destinations is no longer merely a convenience,” said Henley’s Chief Executive Officer Juerg Steffen. “It’s a powerful economic tool that can drive growth, foster international cooperation, and attract foreign investment.”

The US dropped one spot to eighth place, extending its decade-long slide down the index. The former passport powerhouse held a joint first place with the UK a decade ago. The UK now ranks fourth.

Afghanistan’s travel document, which allows visa-free entry to 26 destinations, remains the world’s weakest.