The Henley Passport Index now ranks Luxembourg’s passport third globally, alongside Austria, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden, each offering access to 191 destinations without a visa. on 23 July 2024, Singapore has regained its position as the world’s most powerful passport, setting a new record for visa-free access. According to the index, which ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa, Singaporean citizens can now visit 195 out of 227 destinations globally without a visa.

This marks a significant improvement from the beginning of the year when six countries--France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain--shared the top spot. France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain have dropped to joint-second place, with visa-free access to 192 destinations. A new seven-nation group, including Luxembourg, now occupies the third position, each with access to 191 destinations without needing a prior visa.

The United Kingdom has retained fourth place alongside Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, although its score has decreased to 190 visa-free destinations. The United States has continued its decade-long decline, now positioned in eighth place with access to only 186 destinations. Notably, the US and the UK jointly held first place on the index ten years ago in 2014.

At the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan remains the world’s weakest passport, with access to just 26 destinations--its lowest score in the 19-year history of the index. The country lost access to another destination in the past six months, reinforcing its position as the least powerful passport.

“If you compared to Luxembourg’s visa-free destination score in January 2023 (when it was 189), you can say that the passport has strengthened in terms of access as the July 2024 score is 191,” Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, told Delano on Thursday 25 July 2025. That represents 191 jurisdictions that Luxembourg passport holders can visit for a short time without a visa.

Kaelin, the inventor of the passport index concept, announced in the Henley Global Mobility Report that the general trend over the past two decades has been toward greater travel freedom. The global average number of destinations accessible visa-free has nearly doubled, from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, Kaelin noted that the gap in global mobility between the top and bottom of the index has widened, with Singapore now having access to 169 more destinations than Afghanistan.

The report also noted the International Air Transport Association projected that airlines would connect nearly 5bn people across 22,000 routes on 39m flights in 2024. The air cargo transported is expected to reach 62m tonnes, facilitating approximately $8.3trn in trade. IATA’s director general, Willie Walsh, highlighted the financial pressures facing the aviation industry, with expected revenues of nearly $1trn against record-high expenses of $936bn. This results in a net profit of $30.5bn, translating to a modest net margin of around 3% and a profit per passenger of just $6.14. Despite these tight margins, the real cost of air travel has decreased by 34% over the last decade, said the press statement, though the return on invested capital remains below the average cost of capital at 5.7%.

The index is published by Henley & Partners, an immigration advisory firm for investors, using data from the IATA and its own research.