(CNN) – Before Covid-19 hit, the world enjoyed greater freedom of movement than at any time in history.
Air traffic has been steadily increasing for decades and the average passport holder worldwide enjoys visa-free or on-arrival visa access to 107 global destinations.
And then came the travel ban.
That Henley Passport Index, which periodically measures the most travel-friendly passports in the world, has just released its third report in the new decade.
Asians continue to have travel documents that open the most doors. Japan is at the top of the leaderboards, offering visa-on-arrival or visa-free access to 191 destinations worldwide.
Singapore came in second (with a score of 190) and South Korea established relations with Germany in third (with a score of 189).
However, the standard rating does not take into account the temporary ban – and that, said Henley & Partners in its release, is where the juiciest details are: “It is very eye-opening to consider what travel freedom currently looks for once prestigious passport holders.”
Last week EU releases the list of the 14 countries whose citizens will be allowed into the bloc from July 1, a few months after that closed the external border in response to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Japan and South Korea reached levels that match health and safety criteria related to EU coronaviruses, as did Australia and Canada (in ninth place together on the Henley Passport Index).
However, said Henley & Partner, “in a move which is seen as a scathing rebuke for poor handling of a pandemic,” the United States is an important exception, along with Brazil and Russia.
The United States currently ranks seventh in the official index, but under the current EU ban, Americans have the same level of freedom of travel as Mexican citizens (No. 25 on the Henley Passport Index, with a score of 159) and Uruguay (No. 28, with a score of 153).
Likewise, the absence of Brazil from the list of countries welcomed by the European Union means that, although Henley’s official ranking is No. 19, the current reality is that the ranking is somewhere closer to Paraguay (36th in the index, with a score of 142).
Singapore, meanwhile, ranks second on the Henley Passport Index but its exclusion from the EU list means that its passport holders currently have far less freedom of travel than other countries on the top podium: Japan, South Korea and Germany.
Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and inventor of the passport index concept, said the impact of the recent European Union decision would be far-reaching. “As we have seen, the impact of the pandemic on freedom of travel is more drastic and durable than previously thought. This latest decision by the European Union indicates that there will be more upheaval coming.”
Japan holds the top position for 2020.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP / Getty Images
The best passports to have in 2020 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 (185)
8. Greece, New Zealand, Malta, Czech Republic (184)
9. Canada, Australia (183)
10. Hungary (181)
The worst passport you can hold
Some countries in the world have visa-on-arrival or visa-free access to less than 40 countries. This includes:
103. North Korea (39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal, Palestinian Territory (38)
105. Somalia, Yemen (33)
106. Pakistan (32)
107. Syria (29)
108. Iraq (28)
109. Afghanistan (26)
Other indexes
The Henley & Partner List is one of several indices created by financial companies to rank global passports according to the access they give to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transportation Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. This is updated in real time throughout the year, when and when changes to visa policies come into force.
The Arton Capital Passport Index considers passports from 193 UN member states and six regions – Taiwan’s ROC, Macau (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory and the Vatican. Regions attached to other countries are not included.
The 2020 index places Japan and New Zealand at the top, with a visa-free score of 118.
