The world's most powerful passport has a clear winner this year — in 2024 it was a six-way tie

Singapore has the world's most powerful passport, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index.

The nation-state was one of six countries which tied for the top spot in 2024 in the list produced by the migration consultancy Henley & Partners, which ranks passports by the number of destinations that holders can access without needing a visa.

Singapore broke ahead of the other five countries — Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain and France — with its citizens granted visa-free access to 195 out of 227 global destinations, according to the ranking published Wednesday.

Japan is ranked No. 2, with visa-free access to 193 spots, while the four European countries that were tied for the top spot last year, plus Finland and South Korea, share third place, with each granting passport holders the ability to visit 192 destinations without needing a visa.

Countries in Europe, plus New Zealand, dominate the rest of the top 20 list.

The Henley Passport Index uses data from the International Air Transport Association to rank 199 passports in the world.

"Visa-free," according to the index, includes situations where no visa is required, or when easier-to-obtain entrance documents, such as visas on arrival, visitor's permits and electronic travel authorities, are required.

The United Arab Emirates is one of the "biggest climbers" on the list, according to a press release, having gained visa-free access to 72 destinations in the past decade, for a total of 185 destinations worldwide.  

It's just behind the United States, whose citizens can visit 186 places without needing a visa, according to the ranking.

The U.S. is one of 22 places where passports fell in the index in the past 10 years, it said.

"Surprisingly, the US is the second-biggest faller between