The Henley Passport Index for 2025 declares the Singaporean passport the most powerful in the world. This ranking highlights the exceptional travel freedom it offers.
Holders of a Singaporean passport enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to an impressive 193 out of 227 countries worldwide. This puts Singapore ahead of close contenders South Korea and Japan, offering access to 190 countries.
The respected index, created by Henley & Partners, analyzes data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It evaluates 199 passports based on their access to global destinations.
Further down the list, India holds the 80th position with access to 56 nations, and Nigeria ranks 88th, granting access to 45 countries. This comparison shows the significant advantage of a top-ranked passport.
The Singaporean passport consistently demonstrates strong global performance. East Asia and European countries largely dominated the top 10, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) making a notable leap, adding 72 destinations since 2015 to reach the 10th position.
Why does the Singaporean Passport stand out?
The UAE’s achievement is unique, being the only Arab nation in the top 10, providing visa-free entry to 185 countries.
At the other end of the spectrum, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan occupy the bottom three positions, offering access to only 30, 27, and 25 countries, respectively. This stark contrast underscores the value and privilege of a highly ranked passport. China has made significant progress, moving to 59th from 94th in 2015, with access to 83 countries. Ghana ranks 71st (66 nations), and South Africa ranks 47th (104 countries). However, the Singaporean passport continues to provide superior global access.