In the background of the war, the fear of international isolation and attempts to arrest IDF soldiers in various countries, Israel rises from 21st to 19th place, making it the world’s 20 most powerful passports. The explanation for the surprise promotion is the cancellation of the need for a visa to the United States two years ago, followed by five new destinations that allow Israelis to enter without a visa: Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.
The index is published by the World Rating System, the Hanley Passport Index, which gives each country a score based on the freedom of movement that its citizens receive in other countries around the world.
Israel is on the rise
Singapore has the most powerful passport in the world, with access to 195 destinations worldwide without a visa. Japan occupies second place, with 193 destinations, after for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic has opened its borders with China.
While Israel has risen in two places in the ranking, the European countries of France, Germany, Italy and Spain have dropped two places and are forced to settle in third place along with Finland and South Korea, whose citizens have access to 192 “only” destinations without a visa. In the fourth place are: Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, with visa-free entry to 191 destinations. In the fifth place are: Belgium, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom – offering access to 190 destinations.
The country at the bottom of the list is Afghanistan, which was last ranked with access to only 26 destinations, creating the biggest gap ever measured: Afghanistan has 169 fewer destinations than the people of Singapore.
The 10 Most Powerful Passports in the World:
Singapore (195)
Germany (193)
France, Germany, Italy and Spain, Finland and South Korea (192)
Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden (191)
Belgium, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (190)
Australia and Greece (189)
Canada, Malta and Poland (188)
Czech Republic and Hungary (187)
United States and Estonia (186)
United Arab Emirates, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia (185)
