(CNN) – The days of strolling to an airport, flashing a passport, and then hopping on a flight to wherever you want are a distant memory for now.
The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the travel landscape, possibly for decades to come.
Countries around the world are entering new lockdowns, but even if the restrictions are lifted, it is likely that mandatory vaccination for air travel could soon be a necessity.
Japan tops the list
Asian citizens still have the most powerful travel documents in the world.
The index does not take into account temporary restrictions, so Japan has once again topped the rankings, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 191 destinations around the world.
Singapore is in second place (with a score of 190) and South Korea is in third place with Germany (with a score of 189).
Slightly further up the top 10, New Zealand ranks seventh with visa-free access to 185 destinations, while Australia ranks eighth with access to 184 destinations.
This APAC dominance is a relatively new phenomenon in the index’s 16-year history.
The United States, the United Kingdom and the EU countries have traditionally been in charge, but, Henley & Partners reports in its release, “experts suggest that the APAC region’s strong position will continue as it is some of the first countries. includes those who begin the recovery process from the pandemic. “
Coronavirus cases are currently on the rise in both the US and the UK, with the UK at the center of a rapidly spreading new variant.
The temporary travel restrictions associated with this mean that – while the UK and the United States are ranked seventh from Henley – the reality is that US passport holders can currently travel to fewer than 75 destinations, while UK passport holders have access to less than 70.
Japan ranks first for 2020.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP / Getty Images
The unstoppable UAE
There were relatively few high-profile visa agreements between countries in 2020 – with the United Arab Emirates as a notable exception, says Henley & Partners.
The UAE signed several mutually reciprocal visa waiver agreements last year, including a landmark US-brokered agreement establishing formal ties with Israel and granting citizens of each country visa-free access to the other.
The UAE is ranked 16th in the ranking, with visa-free entry / visa on arrival to 173 destinations. That’s an incredible increase from its position when the index started in 2006, when the country was ranked 62nd, with access to just 35.
‘Everyone for himself’
“Just a year ago, all indications were that global mobility would continue to increase, that travel freedom would increase, and that powerful passport holders would gain more access than ever before,” said Christian H. Kaelin, Henley & Partners chairman and creator of the passport index concept.
“The global lockdown nullified these glowing projections, and as restrictions begin to lift, the results of the latest index are a reminder of what passport power really means in a world turned upside down by the pandemic.”
In terms of future global mobility, we should not expect a return to pre-pandemic patterns, said Parag Khanna, author of “The Future is Asian” and founder and managing partner of Singapore consulting firm FutureMap. It may no longer be the case that nationality only opens doors.
“Even still powerful passports such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea and members of the EU will require additional protocols to regain relatively frictionless mobility,” says Khanna.
“Today’s youth are socially aware, environmentally conscious and less nationalistic – all of which makes them possibly the most mobile generation in human history. They herald a groundbreaking shift in mobility from a country for themselves to each one for themselves. “
The best passports to keep in 2021 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, New Zealand (185)
8. Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Australia (184)
9. Canada (183)
10. Hungary (181)
The worst passports to hold
Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to less than 40 countries. These include:
103. North Korea (39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal (38)
105. Palestinian Territories (37)
106.Somalia, Yemen (33)
107. Pakistan (32)
108. Syria (29)
109. Iraq (28)
110. Afghanistan (26)
Other indexes
Henley & Partner’s list is one of many indexes created by financial companies to rank global passports based on the access they provide to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index is based on data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year as the visa policy takes effect.
Arton Capital’s passport index takes into account the passports of 193 United Nations member states and six territories: ROC Taiwan, Macau (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory and the Vatican. Areas attached to other countries are excluded.
The 2021 index places Germany at the top, with a visa-free / visa-on-arrival score of 134.