Greek Passport Ranked 8th Most Powerful in the World

The Greek passport remains among the strongest in the world, ranking eighth in the 2020 Henley Passport Index, from seventh a year ago, offering its citizens visa-free access to 184 countries.

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

For the third consecutive year, Japan has secured the top spot on the index — which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) — with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 191.

Singapore holds onto its second-place position with a score of 190, while South Korea dropps down a rank to third place alongside Germany, giving their passport holders visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 189 destinations worldwide.

“Asian countries’ dominance of the top spots is a clear argument for the benefits of open-door policies and the introduction of mutually beneficial trade agreements,” said Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Finland and Italy share fourth place, with a score of 188, while Denmark, Luxembourg, and Spain together hold fifth place, with a score of 187.

The US and the UK continue their downward trajectory on the index’s rankings. While both countries remain in the top 10, their shared eighth-place position is a significant decline from the number one spot they jointly held in 2015.

Belgium and Norway also rank eighth in the 2020 Henley Passport Index.

The index’s historic success story remains the steady ascent of the UAE, which has climbed a remarkable 47 places over the past 10 years and now sits in 18th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 171.

On the other end of the travel freedom spectrum, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the index, with its nationals only able to visit a mere 26 destinations visa-free.