Portuguese American Journal

Travel: Portuguese passport fifth most powerful in the world – Portugal

The Portuguese passport was ranked up from sixth to fifth most “powerful” in the world among 188 countries, according to the latest Henley Passport Index (HPI), based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

According to the HPI index, Japan leads the ranking, offering visa-free entry to 192 countries, while South Korean and German passports take second place, with Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain taking third place.

Portugal’s fifth place ranks with France, Ireland, Netherlands and Sweden for visa-free travel to 187 country destinations. The index had placed Portugal in seventh place in 2020.

While Germany has the highest-ranking European passport, the Portuguese passport still ranks higher than a passport issued by the United States, United Kingdom and Canada which ranked seventh, alongside the Czech Republic, Greece, Malta and Norway with visa-free access to 185 destinations. The United States and the United Kingdom held the top HPI spot together back in 2014.

The least effective passports in the world are Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq with less than 30 visa-free destinations.

The Henley Passport Index monitors the world’s most travel-friendly passports since 2006, ranking all passports in the world according to the number of destinations that its holders can access without a prior visa.

The HPI maintains the largest and most accurate database of travel information in the world, updated by research by the Henley & Partners Research Department.

Accordingly, the best passports to hold in 2021 are: (1) Japan, Singapore (192 destinations); (2) Germany, South Korea (190); (3) Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189); (4) Austria, Denmark (188); (5) France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden (187); (6) Belgium, New Zealand, Switzerland (186); (7) Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, Norway, United Kingdom, United States (185); (8) Australia, Canada (184); (9) Hungary (183); (10) Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia (182).

Find the complete 2021 Henley Passport Index here.

PAJ/Staff

**Report a correction or typo to editor@portuguese-american-journal.com. We are committed to upholding our journalistic standards, including accuracy. Carolina Matos/Editor.

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