List of world's most powerful passports for 2021 released

T

he days of showing a passport at an airport and traveling on a flight are now a thing of the past.

The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to change the landscape of air travel for many years to come.

Lockdowns are once again being imposed in several countries around the world, and when the restrictions are lifted, vaccines will likely be required before air travel.

However, like every year, the Hanley Index has released a list of 2021 most powerful passports. 

Can you guess which country has the most powerful passport in the world? If your answer is America, Britain, or any other western country then it is wrong.

The most powerful passport in the world is held by Japanese citizens.

Citizens of Japan can travel to 191 countries without a visa or obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport.

Singapore is second with 190 countries having this facility, while South Korean passport is third with 189 countries.

Italy, Finland, Spain, and Luxembourg are jointly fourth on the list of passport-free or on-arrival visa holders, whose citizens have the facility in 188 countries.

Passports from Denmark and Austria ranked 5th out of 187 countries, while holders of passports from Sweden, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Ireland can apply for visa-free or visa-on-arrival in 186 countries.

Passports in 185 countries are held by citizens of Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, and New Zealand, while passports from Greece, Malta, the Czech Republic, and Australia ranked eighth on the list.

The Canadian passport ranks 9th out of 183 countries, while the Hungarian passport ranks 10th on the list.

The UAE has made the most progress in recent years, ranking 62nd on the list in 2006 but now at 16th.

In contrast, the countries with the lowest number of free visas available at the airport or the airport are the first and second, followed by Afghanistan and Iraq, which has only 26 and 28 countries, respectively. The facility is available, while holders of Syrian passports can only use this facility in 29 countries.

Pakistan ranks fourth with a passport that allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival in 32 countries, while Somalia and Yemen are jointly fifths in terms of passports.

The Palestinian passport was sixth, the Libyan and Nepalese passports were jointly 7th, while the North Korean passport was 8th.