London-based global citizenship and residency consulting firm Henley & Partners has released a new quarterly report showing that holders of three Asian passports have the greatest travel opportunities around the world.
A record 193 destinations are currently open without a visa for Japanese citizens, 192 for Singaporean and South Korean passport holders.
European and North American passports have recovered to 60% of their pre-crisis mobility levels, according to the report.
Most European countries occupy the top lines of the ranking. Finland is in third place, followed by Italy and Luxembourg with 189 visa-free destinations each.
In fifth place are four countries at once: Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden. France and Great Britain round out the top six.
The US, New Zealand, and Belgium are ranked 7th along with Norway, Switzerland, and Belgium.
And what about the other side of the rating?
There are only 27 countries in the world that do not require Afghan citizens to obtain a visa in advance.
Freedom of movement for Indian passport holders has returned to pre-pandemic levels with unrestricted access to 57 countries. Compare with 23 destinations in 2020.
Ukraine occupies 35th place, having overtaken Russia by 15 points, and took 50th place.
The best passports as of July 2022 are:
Japan (193 visa-free countries)
Singapore, South Korea (192)
Germany, Spain (190 N)
Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg (189)
Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, and Sweden (188)
France, Ireland, Portugal, UK (187)
Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, USA (186)
Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, and Malta (185)
Hungary (183)
Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia (182)
Worst Passports in July 2022
Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-free access on arrival to 40 or fewer countries. These include:
North Korea (40 destinations)
Nepal, Palestinian Territory (38)
Somalia (35)
Yemen (34)
Pakistan (32)
Syria (30)
Iraq (29)
Afghanistan (27)
Using the Henley Passport Index, 199 passports were evaluated to determine how many visa-free places their holders could visit. Each time new visa regulations come into effect during the year, they are constantly updated in real-time.