The most powerful passports in the world for 2022 have been unveiled. In the annual Henley Passport Index, the Malaysian passport has been ranked the 12th most powerful passport in the world, up one place from last year.
In total, Malaysian passport holders can travel visa-free to 179 countries. Back in 2017, Malaysia had the world’s fifth most powerful passport.
The passport index is updated quarterly and is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). For the purpose of the index, 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations were studied.
Singapore, along with Japan once again come out on top. Citizens of Singapore and Japan have ‘visa-free’ access to 192 destinations. According to Henley Passport Index methodology, visa-free also includes a visa on arrival, visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering a destination.
According to the Henley Passport Index, while this year’s data reveal a higher level of mobility for several high-ranking countries, the gap between these and passports that allow for less travel freedom has grown.
Thailand took the 65th spot with 79 visa-free countries, and India stands at 83rd with access to 60 countries. Last on the list is Afghanistan at 111th place with just 26 destinations granting access without a visa to the country.
These are the most powerful passports to have in 2022
- Japan, Singapore (192 destinations)
- Germany, South Korea (190)
- Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189)
- Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Sweden (188)
- Ireland, Portugal (187)
- Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States (186)
- Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185)
- Poland, Hungary (183)
- Lithuania, Slovakia (182)
- Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia (181)
These are the worst passports to hold in 2022:
- North Korea (39 destinations)
- Nepal and Palestinian territories (37)
- Somalia (34)
- Yemen (33)
- Pakistan (31)
- Syria (29)
- Iraq (28)
- Afghanistan (26)
