Henley Passport Index, which has been regularly examining the world's most travel-friendly passport for the last 15 years, has released its latest ranking. Japan has once again topped the most powerful passport list in the world for the year 2021 as the country offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 193 destinations across the world. This time the index remains the same as it was in the first quarter of the year, with Singapore remaining in the second position (access to 192 countries) and South Korea sharing the third rank with Germany with a score of 191. Meanwhile, the Henley Passport Index has kept India on the 81st rank for offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 61 countries and territories and Afghanistan stays on the last. 

Considering the ongoing restriction on air travel having a Japanese passport can currently give access to 80 destinations -- followed by Saudi Arabia, which sits down in 71st place Meanwhile, Saudia currently has actual travel access to just 58 destinations the index doesn't take temporary restrictions into account. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's passport got the last position this year too and came out as the world's worst passport with a score of 26. Pakistan, on the other hand, got fourth-last rank with a score of 32.

Even successful countries like the US and the UK stand on the seventh place on the index, alongside Switzerland, Belgium, and New Zealand -- have both steadily declined in passport power since holding the top spot together in 2014.

Meanwhile, we have stepped into the second half of 2021 and the list of top-10sports remains the same. Here’s the list of the best and worst passports to hold in 2021

BEST PASSPORTS TO HOLD:

1. Japan (191 destinations)
2. Singapore (190)
3. South Korea, Germany (189)
4. Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (188)
5. Denmark, Austria (187)
6. Sweden, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland (186)
7. Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, New Zealand (185)
8. Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Australia (184)
9. Canada (183)
10. Hungary (181) or visa-arrival to 193 destinations around the world.

Meanwhile, several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to less than 40 countries. These include the following.

WORST PASSPORTS TO HOLD:

103. North Korea (39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal (38)
105. Palestinian territories (37)
106. Somalia, Yemen (33)
107. Pakistan (32)
108. Syria (29)
109. Iraq (28)
110. Afghanistan (26)

Henley & Partner's list is one of several indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens. The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real-time throughout the year, considering the latest visa policy.

According to a report published by CNN Travel Christian H. Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners says "While we don't know how long travel restrictions will continue, it's clear that global mobility will be severely hampered for at least the rest of this year. "In many countries, serious doubts have arisen as to the ability to handle a global crisis, with the subsequent embrace of more inward-looking priorities"

"Increasing isolationism and deglobalization will no doubt have profound consequences, among them further damage to the world's economy (and) a significant reduction in global mobility" he added.

Written By Amrit Burman