![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IG7KUZ5UMVAH5D7CAOVJATJ33E.jpg?smart=true&auth=9a0e1cfe2e8007e32d3e7041dd64c139ecde14b33d36eb31880b04fb8a3c2ca4&width=400&height=225)
10. Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia are the tenth most powerful passports in the world, with holders able to travel to 182 destinations without a visa. Photo: Dan-Marian-Stefan Doroghi, Kamil Gliwiński and Martin Katler/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S5XOFJLZTBHBFH2HMYHWLJ6Z3M.jpg?smart=true&auth=aee6ea5346a4860bbb4bd7c0ebfdb7c3697591cdc2ec0b33de3d31058272211e&width=400&height=225)
1. Japan and Singapore are the world's most powerful passports in 2021 with citizens able to visit 192 countries visa-free. Photo: David Edelstein and Coleen Rivas/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YIM65KW3JBCVDKPCQUTWWULZY4.jpg?smart=true&auth=b1ccae3eb7bc3bfab75b9c8e6cb7b6b5399302b880da1fe2b6ec7e0394da0b60&width=400&height=225)
2. Germany and South Korea rank in second place, giving passport holders access to 190 destinations. Photo: Angars Scheffold and Stephan Valenti/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4Z7GOCQ3UBGWZKUVZVYNBQUBJE.jpg?smart=true&auth=79a57c17c9373c97967a26e8d078ec23d4018c068616d43b9a7edea60da2f4a2&width=400&height=225)
3. Citizens from Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain can visit 189 destinations without applying for a visa. Photo: Tapio Haaja, Dan Novac, Tom Podmore and Jonas Hoss/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AQ3X4JGHMRCNBP55QYMZTE7DM4.jpg?smart=true&auth=e1a231ca8e452624f2ef23bad2219a45540ee2992232164b7e097d1251d6f22b&width=400&height=225)
4. Austria and Denmark share fourth place with citizens able to travel to 188 countries visa-free. Photo: Dimitry Anikin and Peter Ivey-Hansen/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YNJA47YB5ZC7VFCEQDHVL7KAGM.jpg?smart=true&auth=804566b6de779cee0238c5c6682607a0605164fb635071b7a2f34d27de171219&width=400&height=225)
5. France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden share fifth place with passport holders having access to 187 destinations. Photo: Ilnur Kalimullin, Kevin Fitzgerald, Patrick Metzdo, Vita Marija Murenaite and Ferhat Deniz/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2BOYHC3XDZDNPBNIN6CYGOTC4I.jpg?smart=true&auth=2e5b16745b9d765b5087b2b2cdf86480464b32e56043e3573a768af6b9b754e1&width=400&height=225)
6. Belgium, New Zealand and Switzerland passport holders can travel to 186 destinations without having to apply for a visa. Photo: Chris Liverani, Rod Long and Sven Fischer/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7E4KF4R3UBCJBPISRDSRALN4QE.jpg?smart=true&auth=cf41aa9fb2db2ca77a85500b43cb8a32e22eb522b279421a8618898caf990e73&width=400&height=225)
7. Seventh place is shared by the Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, Norway, the UK and the US with access to 185 countries visa-free. Photo: Dimitry Anikin, Andre Benz, Cosmin Serban, John O'Nolan, Marcin Nowak and Maarten van den Heuvel/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UMKMJ73DXBCIVK3CJIAO4ABH44.jpg?smart=true&auth=f9204b47603b84b46da73ef7e38f20d2000f2c88d2dd62fd770fe3506d62fa92&width=400&height=225)
8. Australian passport holders and Canadian passport holders can visit 184 destinations without pre-applying for visas. Photo: Ondrej Machart and Eugene Aikimov/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UOL7ZXU4KVF7RGQWIFXHC53XEE.jpg?smart=true&auth=3c480c1b75a44dbe42cd2dc706f938a37df049ba834d2e8c2b353f8a5ef0898c&width=400&height=225)
9. Hungary is ranked ninth thanks to citizens being able to travel to 183 countries around the world without a visa. Photo: Ervin Lukacs/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IG7KUZ5UMVAH5D7CAOVJATJ33E.jpg?smart=true&auth=9a0e1cfe2e8007e32d3e7041dd64c139ecde14b33d36eb31880b04fb8a3c2ca4&width=400&height=225)
10. Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia are the tenth most powerful passports in the world, with holders able to travel to 182 destinations without a visa. Photo: Dan-Marian-Stefan Doroghi, Kamil Gliwiński and Martin Katler/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S5XOFJLZTBHBFH2HMYHWLJ6Z3M.jpg?smart=true&auth=aee6ea5346a4860bbb4bd7c0ebfdb7c3697591cdc2ec0b33de3d31058272211e&width=400&height=225)
1. Japan and Singapore are the world's most powerful passports in 2021 with citizens able to visit 192 countries visa-free. Photo: David Edelstein and Coleen Rivas/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YIM65KW3JBCVDKPCQUTWWULZY4.jpg?smart=true&auth=b1ccae3eb7bc3bfab75b9c8e6cb7b6b5399302b880da1fe2b6ec7e0394da0b60&width=400&height=225)
2. Germany and South Korea rank in second place, giving passport holders access to 190 destinations. Photo: Angars Scheffold and Stephan Valenti/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4Z7GOCQ3UBGWZKUVZVYNBQUBJE.jpg?smart=true&auth=79a57c17c9373c97967a26e8d078ec23d4018c068616d43b9a7edea60da2f4a2&width=400&height=225)
3. Citizens from Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain can visit 189 destinations without applying for a visa. Photo: Tapio Haaja, Dan Novac, Tom Podmore and Jonas Hoss/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AQ3X4JGHMRCNBP55QYMZTE7DM4.jpg?smart=true&auth=e1a231ca8e452624f2ef23bad2219a45540ee2992232164b7e097d1251d6f22b&width=400&height=225)
4. Austria and Denmark share fourth place with citizens able to travel to 188 countries visa-free. Photo: Dimitry Anikin and Peter Ivey-Hansen/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YNJA47YB5ZC7VFCEQDHVL7KAGM.jpg?smart=true&auth=804566b6de779cee0238c5c6682607a0605164fb635071b7a2f34d27de171219&width=400&height=225)
5. France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden share fifth place with passport holders having access to 187 destinations. Photo: Ilnur Kalimullin, Kevin Fitzgerald, Patrick Metzdo, Vita Marija Murenaite and Ferhat Deniz/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2BOYHC3XDZDNPBNIN6CYGOTC4I.jpg?smart=true&auth=2e5b16745b9d765b5087b2b2cdf86480464b32e56043e3573a768af6b9b754e1&width=400&height=225)
6. Belgium, New Zealand and Switzerland passport holders can travel to 186 destinations without having to apply for a visa. Photo: Chris Liverani, Rod Long and Sven Fischer/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7E4KF4R3UBCJBPISRDSRALN4QE.jpg?smart=true&auth=cf41aa9fb2db2ca77a85500b43cb8a32e22eb522b279421a8618898caf990e73&width=400&height=225)
7. Seventh place is shared by the Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, Norway, the UK and the US with access to 185 countries visa-free. Photo: Dimitry Anikin, Andre Benz, Cosmin Serban, John O'Nolan, Marcin Nowak and Maarten van den Heuvel/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UMKMJ73DXBCIVK3CJIAO4ABH44.jpg?smart=true&auth=f9204b47603b84b46da73ef7e38f20d2000f2c88d2dd62fd770fe3506d62fa92&width=400&height=225)
8. Australian passport holders and Canadian passport holders can visit 184 destinations without pre-applying for visas. Photo: Ondrej Machart and Eugene Aikimov/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UOL7ZXU4KVF7RGQWIFXHC53XEE.jpg?smart=true&auth=3c480c1b75a44dbe42cd2dc706f938a37df049ba834d2e8c2b353f8a5ef0898c&width=400&height=225)
9. Hungary is ranked ninth thanks to citizens being able to travel to 183 countries around the world without a visa. Photo: Ervin Lukacs/Unsplash
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IG7KUZ5UMVAH5D7CAOVJATJ33E.jpg?smart=true&auth=9a0e1cfe2e8007e32d3e7041dd64c139ecde14b33d36eb31880b04fb8a3c2ca4&width=400&height=225)
10. Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia are the tenth most powerful passports in the world, with holders able to travel to 182 destinations without a visa. Photo: Dan-Marian-Stefan Doroghi, Kamil Gliwiński and Martin Katler/Unsplash
The world's most and least powerful passports in 2021: UAE only Arab nation in top 20
Rankings show a widening gap in travel freedoms spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic
![Hayley Skirka](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F5aa171d9-e19e-4724-894f-afdab957726f.png?smart=true&auth=0060497e4d6de279036bf67ee0e69c23726110ddc9067f6419a245b2b05cf91d&width=70&height=70)
Hayley Skirka
06 October, 2021
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