The UK Passport has maintained its position among one of the most powerful in the world as we head into 2024.

The Henley Passport Index has revealed its power rankings for 2024, with the UK featuring in the top 5.

Countries including France, Spain and Japan have the most powerful passport, according to the index which includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. 

It is updated monthly and is described as the "most robust and reliable index of its kind".

The Herald: The Henley Passport Index ranks all the world's passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa. The Henley Passport Index ranks all the world's passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa. (Image: PA)

What is the Henley Passport Index and how are the power rankings determined?

The Henley Passport Index ranks of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

The index, according to the Henley and Partners website, is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which is "the largest, most accurate travel information database".

A country or territory, Henley and Partners explains, is given a score of 1 if:

  • No visa is required
  • A passport holder can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.

The Herald: See how the UK passport fares against the most powerful in the world.See how the UK passport fares against the most powerful in the world. (Image: PA)

A country or territory receives a score of 0 if:

  • A visa is required
  • A passport holder has to obtain a government-approved electronic visa (e-Visa) before departure
  • Passport holders need pre-departure government approval for a visa on arrival

Henley and Partners adds: "The total score for each passport is equal to the number of destinations for which no visa is required (value = 1)."

You can see the full methodology of how the Henley Passport Index is determined via the website here.

Passport power rankings for 2024

The top 10 countries with the most powerful passports in the world, according to the Henley Passport Index, are:

  1. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (194)
  2. Finland, South Korea, Sweden (193)
  3. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (192)
  4. Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal,  United Kingdom (191)
  5. Greece, Malta, Switzerland (190)
  6. Australia, Czechia (also known as the Czech Republic), New Zealand, Poland (189)
  7. Canada, Hungary, United States (188)
  8. Estonia, Lithuania (187)
  9. Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (186)
  10. Iceland (185)

The Herald: Japanese passport holders are among those allowed in to the most countries in the world without a visa.Japanese passport holders are among those allowed in to the most countries in the world without a visa. (Image: Getty Images)

The full Henley Passport Index can be seen here.

How powerful is the UK Passport?

The UK Passport is the, equal, fourth most powerful in the world along with Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway and Portugal. 

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The UK passport allows holders access to 191 countries or territories without a visa.

This is just three destinations off the worlds top passports from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain.

The weakest passport in the world is Afghanistan which only allows holders into 28 countries without a visa.