According to the Henley Passport Index compiled by immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, which compares the visa-free access of 199 passports to 227 travel destinations, the passports of 64 countries in the world are more powerful than one from Jamaica, which ranks 65th on the Index and is tied with Botswana in allowing visa-free entry to 87 countries worldwide. On the 2019 Henley Passport Index, Jamaica ranked 61st, a ranking it first held in 2016 and held through 2019, and provided access to 85 nations visa-free.
The country with the most powerful passport in the Caribbean in 2022 is Barbados, which ranks 23rd on the Henley Index for 2022 with access to 161 destinations. St. Kitts and Nevis rank second in the Caribbean and globally at Number 25 with access to 157 countries around the world. In third place in the Caribbean and 26th on the Henley Index, The Bahamas provides visa-free access to 155 destinations. Ranking fourth in the Caribbean and 29th globally, St. Vincent and the Grenadines have visa-free access to 151 destinations. Antigua and Barbuda rank fifth, while Trinidad and Tobago rank sixth in the Caribbean and 30th on the global index, providing access to 150 destinations. St. Lucia is in seventh place in the Caribbean and 31st globally with visa-free access to 146 destinations. Next is Dominica at Number 8m with Grenada at Number 9 in the Caribbean, both of which rank 33rd globally with access to 144 destinations. Belize ranks 10th in the Caribbean and 52nd globally with visa-free access to 101 countries.
The power of a passport is based on the number of countries its holder may enter hassle-free. The most powerful passports in the world are Asian, with Japan, Singapore, and South Korea providing passports that are the least restrictive in terms of entry to other countries as the world recovers from the limits on travel imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Christian Kaelin, the chairman of Henley & Partners, recovery and reclamation of travel freedom, along with individuals’ instincts to migrate, will take some time.
Countries in Asia were not featured among the top 10 most-accepted passports in the world as recently as 2017 as Europe had achieved long-time domination in the sector. In 2022, Japan holds the Number 1 spot on the index, allowing visa-free access to 197 countries. Following Japan and tied at Number 2 are Singapore and South Korea, which both provide access to 192 nations. Germany and Spain are tied in third place with access to 190 countries. The United Kingdom is ranked sixth in the world, providing access to 187 nations, and the United States ranks seventh, with visa-free access to 186 countries in 2022.
The Henley Passport Index is based on 17 years’ worth of data and is designed to aid governments and wealthy individuals in determining the value of citizenship in various nations around the world by assessing which nation’s passport offers the most visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
