Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The Henley Passport Index (HPI) recently unveiled its 2025 rankings, showcasing the world’s most powerful passports. Singapore tops the list, offering visa-free access to 195 out of 227 global destinations.
According to CNN Indonesia, the HPI ranked 199 passports according to their visa-free access to 227 global destinations. The index is the original and official ranking of all passports worldwide, based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa, or where visa-on-arrival, e-visas, or similar arrangements are available.
For citizens of nations with the world’s strongest passports, this means unparalleled freedom to explore numerous destinations without the hassle of securing visas in advance.
To determine the strength of each passport, the Henley Passport Index evaluates data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and supplements it with independent research conducted by Henley & Partners’ team of analysts.
This year’s rankings reflect significant shifts driven by geopolitical conflicts, political upheaval, and climate challenges, leading to changes in visa-free privileges for many countries.
Singapore Maintains Its Lead
Singapore retained its position at the top of the index, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 195 out of 227 destinations.
Japan secured second place with access to 193 destinations, including a restoration of visa-free travel to neighboring China, a first since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The third spot is shared by several European countries including France, Italy, Germany, Finland, and Spain, along with South Korea. Each provides visa-free entry to 192 destinations.
Fourth place is occupied by seven European Union nations: Sweden, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Norway, with access to 191 destinations.
In fifth place are Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, each with visa-free access to 190 destinations. The UK’s fall from the top spot, which it held for much of the last decade, is notable.
The United States, which has traditionally ranked among the top five, has fallen to ninth place, offering visa-free access to 186 destinations. This marks the second-largest drop in ranking after Venezuela.
Conversely, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced the most significant improvement, becoming the first and only Arab nation to break into the top 10. The UAE now grants visa-free access to 185 destinations, placing it in tenth place.
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Indonesia remains at 66th place, unchanged from 2024. However, the number of destinations offering visa-free access to Indonesian passport holders has decreased slightly, from 78 in 2024 to 76 in 2025.
Afghanistan continues to rank last, with visa-free access to only 26 destinations—a number that has declined further since last year.
Top 10 Most Powerful Passports in 2025
According to CNN Indonesia, here’s HPI list of Most Powerful Passport 2025:
- Singapore: 195 destinations
- Japan: 193
- Germany, France, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Finland: 192
- Sweden, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway: 191
- United Kingdom, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, New Zealand: 190
- Greece, Australia: 189
- Canada, Malta, Poland: 188
- Czech Republic: 187
- United States, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary: 186
- Lithuania, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates: 185
Indonesia’s Rank
- Indonesia: 76 destinations
The Henley Passport Index serves as a critical benchmark for assessing the mobility and accessibility offered by passports worldwide, reflecting global shifts in diplomacy and international relations.
(Raidi/Agung)
