\n By Dianne Apen-Sadler<\/b>\n<\/p>\n
\n Published on 14\/01\/2026 – 16:04 GMT+1
\n \u2022Updated
\n 16:23\n <\/p>\n
While European countries made up the majority of the top 10 in this year\u2019s Henley Passport Index, Singapore clung onto the number one spot for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n
Two other Asian countries tied for second place \u2013 Japan and South Korea \u2013 with visa-free access to 188 destinations, compared to Singapore\u2019s 192.<\/p>\n
The index, which uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on how many destinations passport<\/strong><\/a> holders can visit without applying for a visa in advance, is now in its 20th year.<\/p>\n Five European countries came in third place, with access to 186 countries: Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden<\/strong><\/a> and Switzerland. <\/p>\n Just below them, with access to 185 destinations, were Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece<\/strong><\/a>, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway.<\/p>\n Rounding out the top five were Hungary, Portugal<\/strong><\/a>, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n Still a long way to go for some European nations<\/p>\n While 30 European countries are in the top 10, there are still some passports lagging behind the others.<\/p>\n Passport holders from Belarus<\/strong><\/a> have visa-free access to just 79 countries, placing them in 60th place, while those from Kosovo only fare slightly better with access to 81 countries, ranking them 59th alongside China<\/strong><\/a> and Botswana.<\/p>\n While there is still a long way to go before reaching the global average, Kosovo has made significant gains in recent years, rising 38 places in the rankings since 2016.<\/p>\n Changes for passport holders in the rest of the world<\/p>\n The biggest climber of the past 20 years is the United Arab Emirates<\/strong><\/a>, which now ranks fifth having climbed 57 places in that time. <\/p>\n Last year, the UAE was in 10th place, and the change means that the country has overtaken the UK, which is down in seventh.<\/p>\n