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The Henley Passport Index

The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the largest, most accurate travel information database – and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team. Expert insights regarding the latest ranking are available in the Global Mobility Report 2023 Q1.

Henley Passport Index Factsheet
The Henley Passport Index

Methodology

The Henley Passport Index is the original and most authoritative passport index, with historical data spanning 18 years.

The index and its contents are based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and supplemented, enhanced, and updated using extensive in-house research and open-source online data. The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. Updated quarterly, the Henley Passport Index is the most robust and reliable index of its kind.

Global ranking and visa lists

On a fixed date each year, Henley & Partners receives exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), which forms the basis of the Henley Passport Index. In order to maintain the accuracy of the data provided by IATA in the face of constant updates to visa policy, and in order to create detailed visa lists for all 199 passports in our database, the Henley & Partners research team uses publicly available and reliable online sources to cross-check each passport against all 227 possible travel destinations. This research process is ongoing throughout the year. It is coupled with a rigorous monitoring system to pick up relevant visa-policy shifts.

Conditions and criteria

For each travel destination, if no visa is required for passport holders from a country or territory, then a score with value = 1 is created for that passport. A score with value = 1 is also applied if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination. These visa-types require no pre-departure government approval, because of the specific visa-waiver programs in place.

Where a visa is required, or where a passport holder has to obtain a government-approved electronic visa (e-Visa) before departure, a score with value = 0 is assigned. A score with value = 0 is also assigned if passport holders need pre-departure government approval for a visa on arrival, a scenario we do not consider ‘visa-free’.

The total score for each passport is equal to the number of destinations for which no visa is required (value = 1), under the conditions defined above.

The index assumes the following:

  • The passport is valid.
  • The passport is ‘normal’ rather than diplomatic, emergency, or temporary.
  • The passport holder is an adult citizen of the issuing country, traveling alone rather than in a tourist group.
  • The passport holder meets all the basic requirements for entry (for example, holding a hotel reservation or having proof of sufficient funds).
  • The passport holder does not meet any complex requirements for entry (for example, possessing a government-issued letter).
  • The passport holder has had all the necessary inoculations or vaccination.
  • The passport holder is arriving at and departing from the same airport.
  • The passport holder is seeking a short stay rather than a transit stay in the destination country or territory.
  • The duration of the short stay is between three days and several months.
  • The port of entry is a major city or capital, in cases where this is required.
  • Entry to the destination country is for tourist or business purposes.

The visa policy of Greenland and the Faroe Islands is taken to be the same as that of Denmark.

Regional groupings

For each passport, the visa lists were broken down into regions, for ease of reference. These regional groupings were created using a combination of official United Nations geographic categories and Henley & Partners business categories.

Disclaimer

The information provided in the index is not intended to be binding, and visa information must be verified with a travel agent or embassy representative before travel arrangements are made.

Full disclaimer and important legal information: www.henleyglobal.com/disclaimer

Glossary

  • Visa-free: You do not need a visa to enter these destinations
  • Visa on arrival: You need a visa to enter these destinations, but you can apply for and receive the visa upon arrival at the airport (no pre-departure approval necessary)
  • e-Visa: You need a visa to enter these destinations, but you can apply for it online, and the visa you receive is electronic (pre-departure approval necessary)
  • Visa required: You need a traditional visa to enter these destinations, and you need to apply for it in person
  • Visa-free score: The total number of destinations for which you do not require a visa
  • Visa list: The list of destinations that a specific passport can access visa-free, with an electronic visa (e-Visa), with a visa on arrival, or with a traditional visa

Contact us today

Henley & Partners assists international clients in obtaining residence and citizenship under the respective programs. Contact us to arrange an initial private consultation.

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