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The most powerful passports in the world for 2024 so far, more destinations for Albanians, Kosovo improves significantly

Politiko 2024-07-24 13:19:42

The most powerful passports in the world for 2024 so far, more destinations for

The Singapore passport has been named the world's most powerful travel document in a quarterly ranking of passports with the most international influence. For the past 19 years, the Henley Passport Index, created by London-based consulting firm Henley & Partners, has tracked global freedoms in 227 countries and territories around the world, using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association. IATA).

The next passports to come close to Singapore's global power are those of Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, which together hold the No. 2 spot and whose citizens can enjoy visa-free travel to 192 destinations. Then, in third place in the ranking, come South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, all of which have the privilege of hassle-free travel to 191 destinations.

The United Kingdom, which in 2014 held the first place together with the United States, is in fourth place (190 destinations), alongside New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland. Australia and Portugal share the No. 5 spot (189 destinations), while the USA has fallen to eighth place, with visa-free access to a modest 186 destinations.

Albanian passport holders can travel visa-free to 123 countries, an improvement of 5 positions, and 6 destinations compared to the index of the previous year (Q2 2023). Compared to the region, Albanian passport holders have fewer destinations available. Serbia ranks 34th with 140 destinations, North Macedonia and Montenegro 41st with 128 destinations.

While Kosovo has a significant improvement in the ranking, from the 92nd place a year ago, it is now ranked in the 63rd place with 79 destinations, 37 destinations more. While Kosovo is in 94th place with 42 destinations. While Singapore's magic number of 195 is a record high for both Singapore and the ranking, at the lowest end is Afghanistan, which has long been ranked as the world's weakest passport according to the index, but whose citizens can now travel to only 26 countries visa-free – the lowest score recorded in the index's nearly two-decade history.

"The global average number of destinations that travelers can access visa-free has doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has been ever," said Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners.

Nearly five billion people will take to the skies this year, on 39 million flights, according to IATA estimates. However, the real cost of air travel has fallen by more than a third in that time, says IATA director-general Willie Walsh, with airline profit per passenger now averaging just over $6 per passenger, “ barely enough for a single espresso in a typical hotel cafe.”

The most powerful passports for 2024

Singapore (195 destinations)
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain (192)
Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden (191)
Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom (190)
Australia, Portugal (189)
Greece, Poland (188)
Canada, Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta (187)
United States (186)
Estonia, Lithuania, United Arab Emirates (185)
Iceland, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia ( 184)./ Monitor