The world passport rankings have a few surprises in store in 2023, with Singapore taking the top spot from Japan. Ecuador even went up five steps.
A citizen carrying out the process to obtain her passport in Guayaquil, on June 17, 2023.
For the first time, the ranking of the most powerful passports in the world is led by Singapore, whose citizens can visit 191 countries in the world without any visa.
Indeed, the Henley Passport Index, in force for 18 years, is drawn up based on how ‘valuable’ a country’s document is, to allow its inhabitants to travel around the world without a visa or with exclusive regulations.
This list takes reference data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and includes 199 countries and 227 different travel destinations.
In 2023, Singapore took first place from Japan, which for five years was at the top of the ranking.
While on the second rung are three countries, all European: Germany, Italy and Spain, whose citizens can travel comfortably through 190 countries without a visa.
In general, in the top five positions in the ranking are nations from Europe and Asia. And the United States barely appears on the eighth rung.
How do you rate Ecuador? This year, the country ranks 56th, gaining five notches from 2023.
According to the index, Ecuadorians can visit 92 countries without the need for a visa.
The Henley ranking score is used as a reference by governments and government agencies around the world to grant new visa waivers and allow travelers to enter their countries.
