The results are in! The German passport has once again been ranked among the top three most powerful passports in the world, behind Japan and Singapore. 

The Global Passport Ranking 2021

Now in its 16th year, the Global Passport Ranking is an index put together by the UK-based law firm Henley & Partners. The index uses data from the Air Transport Authority to rank 199 passports around the world according to their mobility - that is, the number of destinations to which they grant visa-free travel. 

Passports are awarded one point for every country the holder can travel to without needing a visa, or if the traveller can obtain either a visa, a visitors’ permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) upon arrival. If the passport holder has to apply for a visa or government approval ahead of their departure, zero points are awarded. 

Germany’s passport is the third-most mobile in the world

Once again, Germany’s passport was ranked the joint third most powerful in the world in 2021, alongside South Korea. Both passports grant their holders visa-free travel to 191 destinations worldwide. The top spots on the ranking were again claimed by Japan (193 destinations) and Singapore (192). 

This is not the best rank the federal republic has ever achieved - it occupied the top spot for the years 2015 to 2017 - but it is its best-ever score. 

The world’s best and worst passports in 2021

According the Global Passport Index, these are the best passports in the world in 2021: 

• Japan (193)
• Singapore (192)
• South Korea and Germany (191)
• Italy, Finland, Spain, and Luxembourg (190)
• Denmark and Austria (189)
• The Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, and Ireland (188)
• Switzerland, USA, UK, Belgium, and New Zealand (187)
• Norway, Greece, Malta, and the Czech Republic (186)
• Canada and Australia (185)
• Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Poland (183)

And these are the worst: 

• Afghanistan (26)
• Iraq (28)
• Syria (29)
• Pakistan (32)
• Yemen (33)
• Somalia (34)
• Palestinian Territory (37)
• Nepal (38)
• North Korea (39)
• Libya and Kosovo (40)

For more information, including a detailed breakdown of the scores, visit the Henley & Partners website.