This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
The Henley Passport Index, a ranking of all the world's passports, revealed the countries with the least visa-free or visa-on-arrival access in 2019. According to the index, published on October 3, 2019, Japan and Singapore topped the rankings, offering access to 190 countries.
South Korea, Finland, and Germany followed closely, with their citizens able to access 188 countries without a prior visa. In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom, which previously held the top spots, slipped to sixth place, their lowest position since 2010.
Among African countries, Seychelles ranked 26th, with its citizens able to visit 151 countries. Other African nations, including South Africa, Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Kenya, were among the first 90 countries with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
However, some countries fell to the bottom of the rankings, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to fewer than 40 destinations. These countries include North Korea, Lebanon, Nepal, Libya, Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The Henley Passport Index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world's largest and most accurate database of travel information.
