Interview, Fireside Chat
Which countries have fallen down the passport power rankings?
- Singapore currently holds the top global passport rank with visa-free access to 193 countries, while Asian nations dominate the upper tiers, with South Korea at number two and Japan at number three.
- British and US passports have experienced a rapid decline from their number one rankings in 2015 and 2014 respectively; the US now permits visa-free entry for only 46 countries, while China offers significantly more visa-free access than the US, having seen dramatic growth in passport power over the last decade.
- The British passport ranks eighth and the Irish passport is fifth, whereas Australia and Canada are facing stagnation or downward movement in their rankings, and the bottom of the list is occupied by Afghanistan, followed by Syria and Iraq.
- Wealthier nations generally possess stronger passports while war-torn or politically unstable countries possess weaker ones, a dynamic reinforced by recent insular policy shifts and tightened immigration rules in both Britain and America which constrain citizen mobility as other nations respond in kind.
- The US is currently losing relative passport power despite retaining significant strength, a trend driving increased anxiety among Americans and a surge in demand for second citizenships, evidenced by Henley & Partners' US clients now comprising the bulk of the firm's global base.