Singapore Have The World’s Most Powerful Passport

If you live in Singapore, your passport has probably seen some serious mileage. Let’s face it, although Singapore is a wonderful place to live, packed full of interesting things to do, the ‘Little Red Dot’ is small and can never offer all things to everyone. It’s not renowned for its skiing, hill walking, Roman history, driving tours or theatres, for example. Besides, it’s a big world out there and many people have a wanderlust that encourages them to travel and explore new regions. Thankfully, as long as you have a valid passport and the required funds, Singapore is one of the best places in the world from which to start your travels. Does Singapore have the world’s most powerful passport, the BusyKidd’s team will help to understand this.

The Humble Passport

We’ve come a long way from the seafaring days when a passport was literally a document that allowed people to leave or enter a port. Although there is no universally agreed origin for the word ‘passport’, most scholars believe that it dates back to the late 15^th century. Some claim that it originated in France and is based on the French words ‘passer’ (to pass) and ‘port’ (referring to a sea port), whilst others believe it derives from a document required by some medieval Italian states to pass through a physical harbour (‘passa porto’ means to pass a port in Italian). Whatever its history, the passport is now a key requirement for travelling from country to country. Although this might not be groundbreaking news for many people, what might be less obvious is that all passports are not equal when it comes to hassle-free travel around the globe. Indeed, some passports are now regarded as more powerful than others.

A Concept Of ‘Passport Power’

Although with most passports you can travel to most countries around the world, with some it can involve a lot of inconvenience. For example, depending on the agreements between your government and that of the country you want to visit, you may have to apply for a visa. This can be an expensive and time-consuming process and is often enough to make you change your plans to avoid those countries which require a visa for entry. It also means that the more countries you can visit without having to obtain a visa, the more ‘powerful’ your passport is in terms of ease of travel. Usefully, there are now a number of indexes that rank passports in this aspect, of which the Henley Passport Index is one of the most highly regarded.

Comparing Passports Across The Globe

Launched in 2005, the Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of the relative freedom to travel by the citizens of 199 countries when using their ordinary (i.e. non-diplomatic or other extraordinary) passports. Set up by Henley & Partners, a British investment and migration consultancy, the index ranks the passports of these countries based on their visa-free access to 227 countries across the globe. In simple terms, the ranking for each national passport is based on its total score, which is equal to the number of destinations that passport holders can without a visa.

How Does Singapore Compare?

Although Singapore was ranked in 11^th position on the Henley Passport Index in 2020, since then it has shown year-on-year improvements. In 2022 it was ranked second, with 192 visa-free destinations, behind Japan on 193. In both 2023 and 2024, the ‘Little Red Dot’ sat at the top of the rankings, making it arguably the most ‘powerful’ passport on the planet. Singapore offered 195 visa-free destinations in 2024, followed by Italy, Germany, France, Japan, and Spain on 192 visa-free destinations. For comparison, the UK ranked joint fourth, with 190 destinations, whilst the United States was in 8^th with 186 destinations.

Where Can You Visit With A Singapore Passport?

With a Singapore passport the world really is your oyster. You can travel visa-free to 46 countries in Europe, including Denmark, Slovakia, France, and Cyprus, with Russia being one of the few countries that requires a visa. In Asia you can travel freely to 30 countries, including China, Turkey, Oman, and Indonesia. Across North and South America and the Caribbean you can visit 48 countries, ranging from the United States to Barbados, Peru, and French Guiana. Oceania will also welcome you, with no visa required by 14 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Vanuatu. And although the vast continent of Africa is the most challenging, with 16 countries requiring a visa, you can still visit 30 countries visa-free.

More Than Just A Powerful Passport

Although Singapore clearly has one of the most useful passports in the world, that’s not the only thing that sets the nation apart when it comes to travel. In Changi International Airport, Singapore has one of the best airports across the globe. For more than 10 years it has been consistently ranked in the top 3 of the world’s best airports in the Skytrax World Airport Awards. Indeed, it was ranked number 1 from 2013-2020 and was in second position, behind Doha, in 2024. Singapore also has one of the best airlines in the world according to the Skytrax World Airline Awards. Its national carrier, Singapore Airlines, has consistently been ranked in the top 3 global airlines for the last 12 years and was number 1 in 2018 and 2023.

Singapore – The World’s Best Travel Hub

According to global rankings such as the Henley Passport Index, Singapore’s passport is the most powerful in the world when it comes to visa-free access to the most countries in the world. Along with that, Singapore has an international airport and a national airline that have consistently been voted amongst the best in the world, meaning that your journey can be smooth and convenient from start to finish. So, what’s stopping you? Start planning your next exciting holiday now!

Images Credit: Depositphotos