(CNN) – The days of visiting an airport, flashing a passport, then jumping on a flight to where you are staying are a distant memory for now.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the travel landscape, possibly for decades to come.
Countries around the world are finding new exclusions, but even if the restrictions do rise, it is likely that compulsory pre-flight vaccination may soon be a necessity.
Japan tops the list
Asian citizens still have the world’s most powerful travel documents.
The index does not take temporary restrictions into account, so Japan is again at the top of the list and offers visa-free or visa-accessing access to 191 destinations around the world.
Singapore is in second place (with a score of 190) and South Korea is tied with Germany in third place (with a score of 189).
A little further down the top 10, New Zealand is in seventh place, with visa-free access to 185 destinations, while Australia is in eighth place, with access to 184 destinations.
This APAC dominance is a relatively new phenomenon in the 16-year history of the index.
The United States, the United Kingdom and EU countries have traditionally ruled the country, but, reports Henley & Partners in its release, “experts suggest that the strong position of the APAC region will continue as it is some of the first include countries starting the recovery process from the pandemic. ‘
The number of Coronavirus cases is currently rising sharply in both the US and the UK, with the UK at the center of a rapidly spreading new variant.
The temporary travel restrictions associated with this mean that – although the United Kingdom and the United States are ranked seventh on Henley’s list, the reality is that US passport holders can currently travel to less than 75 destinations, while UK passport holders have access to less than 70.
Japan holds the top spot for 2020.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP / Getty Images
The unstoppable UAE
There were relatively few high-profile visa agreements between countries during 2020 – with the United Arab Emirates a notable exception, says Henley & Partners.
The UAE signed several visa waiver agreements last year, including a historic US mediation agreement that establishes formal ties with Israel and gives citizens of each country visa-free access to the other.
The UAE ranks 16th in the rankings, with visa-free / visa-on-arrival access to 173 destinations. This is an incredible rise from its position back when the index started in 2006, when the country was ranked 62nd, with access to just 35.
‘Every person for himself’
“Only a year ago, all indications are that the pace of global mobility will continue to rise, that freedom of movement will increase and that holders of strong passports will enjoy more access than ever before,” said Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and inventor of the passport index concept.
“The global exclusion has denied these glowing forecasts, and as restrictions begin to rise, the results of the latest index are a reminder of what passport power really means in a world backed by the pandemic.”
In terms of future global mobility, we should not expect to return to pre-pandemic patterns, says Parag Khanna, author of “The Future is Asian” and founder and managing partner of the Singapore consulting firm FutureMap. It may no longer be the case that nationality alone will open doors.
“Even for still powerful passports such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea and EU members, additional protocols are needed to achieve relatively frictionless mobility again,” says Khanna.
“The youth of today are socially conscious, environmentally conscious and less nationalistic – making it all the most mobile generation in human history. They call for a huge shift in mobility from each country in itself to each person for themselves.”
The best passports in 2021 are:
1. Japan (191 destinations)
2. Singapore (190)
3. South Korea, Germany (189)
4. Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (188)
5. Denmark, Austria (187)
6. Sweden, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland (186)
7. Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, New Zealand (185)
8. Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Australia (184)
9. Canada (183)
10. Hungary (181)
The worst passports to hold
Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to less than 40 countries. These include:
103. North Korea (39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal (38)
105. Palestinian Territories (37)
106. Somalia, Yemen (33)
107. Pakistan (32)
108. Syria (29)
109. Iraq (28)
110. Afghanistan (26)
Other indices
Henley & Partner’s list is one of several indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year, as soon as the visa policy changes.
The passport index of Arton Capital takes into account the passports of 193 member states of the United Nations and six territories – ROC Taiwan, Macau (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territories and the Vatican. Areas attached to other countries are excluded.
The 2021 index puts Germany at the top, with a visa-free / visa-on-arrival score of 134.