(CNN) – The days of walking in an airport, flashing a passport, then jumping on a flight to wherever he likes are, for the time being, a distant memory.
The Covid-19 pandemic transformed the landscape of travel, possibly in the following decades.
Countries around the world are entering new bottlenecks, but even when restrictions are lifted, mandatory vaccination before air travel is likely to be a necessity soon.
Japan tops the list
Asian citizens continue to hold the strongest travel documents in the world.
The index does not take into account temporary restrictions, so Japan is once again at the top of the rankings, offering visa-free or visa-free access to 191 destinations worldwide.
Singapore is in second place (with a score of 190), and South Korea has ties with Germany in third place (with a score of 189).
Just below 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 EU countries have traditionally led, but, according to Henley & Partners in its statement, “experts suggest that the APAC region’s strong position will continue, as it includes some of the first countries to begin the recovery process. pandemic “.
The number of coronavirus cases is currently rising sharply in both the US and the UK, with the UK being the focus of a new, rapidly spreading variant.
Temporary travel restrictions related to this mean that – while the UK and US are ranked seventh on Henley’s list – the reality is that US passport holders can currently travel to less than 75 destinations in time. which passport holders in the UK have access to less than 70.
Japan ranks first for 2020.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP / Getty Images
The water is unstoppable
There were relatively few high-profile visa agreements between countries in 2020 – the United Arab Emirates being a notable exception, says Henley & Partners.
Last year, the UAE signed several reciprocal visa waiver agreements, including a historic US-mediated agreement that established formal ties with Israel and gave each country’s citizens visa-free access to the other.
The UAE ranks 16th in the ranking, with visa-free / visa-free access to 173 destinations. This is an incredible increase from its position since the index began in 2006, when the country was ranked 62nd with access to only 35.
“Every person for himself”
“Just a year ago, all indications were that global mobility rates would continue to rise, that freedom of travel would increase and that strong passport holders would have more access than ever before,” said Christian H. Kaelin, President of Henley & Partners. inventor of the passport index concept.
“The global blockade has denied these bright projections, and as restrictions begin to lift, the results of the latest index are a reminder of what the power of the passport really means in a pandemic-defeated world.”
As for future global mobility, we should not expect a return to pre-pandemic patterns, says Parag Khanna, author of “The Future is Asian” and founder and managing partner of the Singapore consulting firm FutureMap. It may not be the case that only nationality will open its doors.
“Even for still strong passports such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea and EU members, additional protocols will be needed to achieve relatively frictionless mobility again,” says Khanna.
“Today’s young people are socially aware, environmentally conscious and less nationalistic – which makes them potentially the most mobile generation in human history. They announce a seminal shift in mobility from being each country in itself to being each person for themselves. ”
The best passports held 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, the 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 held
Many countries around the world have visa-free or visa-free access to arrival in 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 clues
The Henley & Partner list is one of several indices created by financial firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year, when and when changes to the visa policy take effect.
The Arton Capital 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, the Palestinian Territory and the Vatican. Territories annexed to other countries are excluded.
Its 2021 index puts Germany in the lead, with a visa-free / visa-free arrival score of 134.