The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the relatively recent emergence of the omicron variant, has resulted in the imposition of various travel restrictions around the world. In light of these restrictions, the Henley Passport Index has released its latest rankings on the power of various countries’ passports, based on the number of destinations a passport allows access to without a prior visa.

The Henley Passport Index takes into account the passports of 199 countries and its rankings are based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

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According to the report, Japan and Singapore, like last year, have the most ‘powerful’ passports as Japanese and Singaporean passport holders can travel to a whopping 192 countries without a prior visa.

Germany and South Korea feature second, with their passports allowing access to 190 countries without a prior visa.

Finland, Italy, Spain, and Luxembourg take up the third spot with access to 189 countries without a prior visa, while Denmark, Sweden, France, Austria, and the Netherlands take up the fourth spot with access to 188 countries.

Irish and Portuguese passport holders have access to 187 countries, ahead of the US, UK, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland, whose passport holders have access to 186 countries.

Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta are seventh, with access to 185 countries, while Poland and Hungary (183), Lithuania and Slovakia (182), and Estonia, Latvia, and Slovenia (181) wrap up the top ten.

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Among the bottom countries, Afghanistan sits on top with access to 26 countries, followed by Iraq (28), Syria (29), Pakistan (31), Yemen (33), Somalia (34), Nepal and Palestine (37), and North Korea (39).

India, however, does not fall among the top or bottom countries, and sits somewhere midway. In 2022, India jumped up seven spots from its 2021 ranking, and sits at the 83rd spot in the index.