Singapore has emerged as the sole leader on the Henley Passport Index, surpassing six other countries at the beginning of the year. This achievement marks Singapore as the holder of the world’s most influential passport, with its citizens having visa-free access to 195 out of 227 travel destinations globally, setting a new record score.
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain are now tied for the 2nd spot, with visa-free entry to 192 locations. A remarkable group of seven countries, including Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden, now share the 3rd position on the list, with access to 191 destinations without a visa requirement. This ranking is determined by data exclusively provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The United Kingdom, along with Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland, maintains its position in 4th place, despite its visa-free destination score decreasing to 190. Meanwhile, the United States continues its decade-long decline on the index, falling to 8th place with access to only 186 destinations visa-free. A decade ago in 2014, the UK and the US jointly held the top spot on the index. Afghanistan remains the world’s weakest passport, losing access to yet another destination in the past six months, leaving its citizens with visa-free access to only 26 countries – the lowest score ever recorded in the 19-year history of the index.
In the last twenty years, there has been a noticeable increase in travel freedom, as the average number of visa-free destinations accessible to travelers worldwide has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. Nevertheless, the disparity in global mobility between the highest and lowest ranked countries has reached an all-time high, with Singapore leading the list by being able to visit 169 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan.
According to IATA, airlines are projected to connect almost 5 billion people through 22,000 routes on 39 million flights in 2024. The air cargo transported is expected to reach 62 million tonnes, contributing to a remarkable $8.3 trillion in trade. Willie Walsh, the Director General, emphasizes that despite the significant value generated by the aviation industry, the profit margins remain very narrow. The industry is expected to generate revenues of nearly $1 trillion this year, with expenses reaching a record high of $936 billion. The net profit is projected to be $30.5 billion, resulting in a modest net margin of around 3%. This translates to a profit of just $6.14 per passenger, which is barely enough for a single espresso in a typical hotel café. Additionally, the return on invested capital is projected at 5.7%, significantly below the average 9% cost of capital. Despite these challenges, the real cost of air travel has decreased by 34% over the last decade.
The UAE has entered the Top 10 for the first time, with an impressive addition of 152 destinations since the index was established in 2006, resulting in a current visa-free score of 185. This remarkable achievement has seen the country rise 53 places in the ranking, moving from 62nd to 9th position. This meteoric ascent is attributed to the deliberate and concerted efforts of the Emirati government to establish the UAE as a global hub for business, tourism, and investment. Research conducted by the organization consistently demonstrates a strong correlation between a country’s visa-free score and its economic prosperity. Countries with higher visa-free scores tend to experience higher GDP per capita, increased foreign direct investment, and stronger international trade relationships.
Both China and Ukraine have made significant progress in the past decade, with China moving up 24 places to 59th (with access to 85 destinations visa-free) and Ukraine advancing 23 spots to 30th with its nationals able to visit 148 destinations without a prior visa. In contrast, Russia has dropped seven places to 45th position with visa-free access to just 116 destinations.
Venezuela has experienced the most significant decline over the past ten years, dropping 17 positions from 25th to 42nd on the Henley Passport Index. The nation is preparing for crucial presidential elections on 28 July, which may impact the lives of over seven million Venezuelan refugees who have left their homeland due to economic and political turmoil caused by a sharp decline in oil prices, as well as ongoing government corruption and mismanagement.
Yemen’s ranking has dropped by 15 positions, placing it at 100th. Nigeria and Syria have also experienced a decline, falling by 13 spots to 92nd and 102nd, respectively. Bangladesh, on the other hand, is the 5th-largest decliner, having dropped 11 positions from 86th to 97th over the last decade.
New research has compared Schengen visa rejection rates for applicants from various regions, revealing that Africa tops the list of EU visa rejections. The findings demonstrate that approximately 30% of African Schengen visa applicants were rejected, in contrast to 10% of applicants worldwide, despite the continent having the lowest number of visa applications per capita. Additionally, the study uncovered a correlation between the economic status of African countries and the rejection rates for their nationals.
Africa had seven out of the top ten countries globally with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates in 2022. These countries include Algeria (45.8%), Guinea-Bissau (45.2%), Nigeria (45.1%), Ghana (43.6%), Senegal (41.6%), Guinea (40.6%), and Mali (39.9%). In contrast, applicants from the US, Canada, and the UK had a much lower rejection rate of only one in twenty-five, while those from Russia faced a rejection rate of one in ten. Algerians had a rejection rate 10 times higher than Canadians, and Ghanaians were four times more likely to be rejected than Russians. Nigerians faced a rejection rate almost three times higher than Turkish applicants (15.5%) and twice that of Iranians (23.7%).
According to same analysts, the European visa system exhibits a clear bias against African applicants, despite justifications based on security or economic concerns. Factors like per capita income, illegal overstays, and low rates of return and readmission of Africans in Europe partially explain the high rejection rates. However, these reasons do not fully explain the significantly greater restrictions against African Schengen visa applicants and the strength of their passports. It is probable that European migration policies, influenced by national identity politics, play a more substantial role in these discriminatory restrictions than officially recognized.
Africans are confronted with a triple challenge: reduced passport influence, increased visa denial rates, and as a result, restricted economic movement. To put it simply, those in poverty encounter the most obstacles when attempting to travel or relocate to wealthier nations. I contend that the elevated rate of rejection for African Schengen visa seekers can be attributed to struggling economies and biased regulations rooted in identity and cultural factors.
The Henley Openness Index, which evaluates all 199 countries globally based on the number of nationalities they allow entry without a visa beforehand, plays a crucial role in Henley & Partners’ analysis of the correlation between a country’s receptiveness to foreigners – the number of nations it welcomes visa-free – and its citizens’ travel freedom (measured by the Henley Passport Index).
According to the most recent index, the Top 20 ‘most open’ countries consist of small island nations or African states, with the exception of Cambodia. There are 13 countries in the world that are completely open, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to all 198 passports in the world (excluding their own). These countries are: Burundi, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Maldives, Micronesia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Samoa, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu. At the bottom of the Henley Openness Index, three countries score zero, allowing no visa-free access for any passport: Afghanistan, North Korea, and Turkmenistan. The Top 5 countries with the largest (negative) difference between their own visa-free access and their openness to other nations are Somalia, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Burundi, and Nepal, while the Top 5 with the least difference between their access and their openness are Singapore, Bahamas, Malaysia, Hong Kong (SAR China), and Barbados.
Singapore, which is currently ranked at the top, stands out for its high level of openness compared to the other five countries in the group now in 2nd place on the most recent Henley Passport Index. This vibrant city-state holds the 15th spot on the Henley Openness Index, offering visa-free entry to an impressive 164 nationalities out of 199. In contrast, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain are positioned much lower at 49th place, with only 93 countries granted visa-free access, while Japan is even more restrictive at 65th place, providing visa-free entry to just 70 other nations.
United States citizens can visit 186 destinations without a visa, but the US only allows 45 nationalities to enter visa-free, ranking 78th on the Henley Openness Index (compared to 8th on the Henley Passport Index). The USA’s access versus openness disparity is the second largest, just behind Australia (and slightly ahead of Canada). New Zealand and Japan are also among the Top 5 countries with the biggest difference in travel freedom and visa-free access for other nationalities. Interestingly, these nations have either dropped or maintained their rankings on the Henley Passport Index over the past decade.
Mainstream political parties throughout Europe are increasingly adopting stricter immigration and asylum policies, mirroring the rise of right-wing parties. For instance, countries like the Netherlands, known for their progressive stance, are now aiming to implement regulations that are even more stringent than those of the Schengen area. Recently, Ireland revoked visa-free travel for citizens of South Africa and Botswana. This has led to some governments in the global south questioning these decisions and advocating for visa reciprocity to promote equality.
In May, Namibia announced plans to implement entry visa requirements for over 30 countries that have not reciprocated its open visa policy. Nigeria has also indicated intentions to enforce similar measures against nations with stringent visa regulations for Nigerian passport holders. This situation adds complexity to the power dynamics in Africa involving China, the USA, and Russia. Russia and China are increasingly easing visa restrictions, while Britain, Schengen states, and other EU members are tightening visa-free access to Europe. The push for visa reciprocity is currently minimal, but it is evident that it is part of a broader global trend where developing countries are challenging policies based on colonial perceptions of Africa, India, Latin America, and other regions.
