While European countries made up the majority of the top 10 in this year’s Henley Passport Index, Singapore clung onto the number one spot for the second year in a row.
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Three countries tied for second place – Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates – with visa-free access to 188 destinations, compared to Singapore’s 192.
The index, which uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on how many destinations passport holders can visit without applying for a visa in advance, is now in its 20th year.
Sweden came in third place, with access to 187 countries. Just below them, with access to 186 destinations, were Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain.
Rounding out the top five were Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Switzerland.
Still a long way to go for some European nations
While 29 European countries are in the top 10, there are still some passports lagging behind the others.
Passport holders from Belarus have visa-free access to just 78 countries, placing them in 62nd place, while those from Kosovo only fare slightly better with access to 83 countries, ranking them 60th alongside China.
While there is still a long way to go before reaching the global average, Kosovo has made significant gains in recent years, rising 35 places in the rankings since 2016.
Changes for passport holders in the rest of the world
The biggest climber of the past 20 years is the United Arab Emirates, which now ranks second, having climbed 60 places in that time and with access to 153 more destinations.
Last year, the UAE was in 10th place, and the change means that the country has overtaken the UK, which is down in sixth.
The US is now 10th, with access to 180 countries. This is the same ranking as in 2025, when the country fell to its lowest-ever position in the index’s history.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, chairman at Henley & Partners, the Chicago-based citizenship by investment consultancy that creates the rankings, said: “Today, passport privilege plays a decisive role in shaping opportunity, security, and economic participation, with rising average access masking a reality in which mobility advantages are increasingly concentrated among the world’s most economically powerful and politically stable nations.”
Henley Passport Index 2026
How the top five passports rank for visa-free access, according to the Henley Passport Index as of July 2026:
- 1. Singapore – 192 destinations
- =2. Japan – 188
- =2. South Korea – 188
- =2. United Arab Emirates – 188
- =3. Sweden – 187
- =4. Belgium – 186
- =4. Denmark – 186
- =4. Finland – 186
- =4. France – 186
- =4. Germany – 186
- =4. Ireland – 186
- =4. Italy – 186
- =4. Luxembourg – 186
- =4. Netherlands – 186
- =4. Norway – 186
- =4. Spain – 186
- =5. Austria – 185
- =5. Greece – 185
- =5. Malta – 185
- =5. Portugal – 185
- =5. Switzerland – 185