Which country has the world's most powerful passport?

There are 227 different travel destinations across the world that require a passport to enter the borders.

No country is guaranteed entry into every single one, but rising global mobility allows those in the top positions to come very close. It’s no wonder that more people are applying for dual-citizenships than ever.

Data compiled by the Henley Passport Index paints a fascinating picture of the state of future travel, looking at the bigger picture of who is allowed where and why in a post-pandemic world.

The index uses information from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to calculate how many travel destinations are accessible to the 199 passports that exist across the world. This is defined as destinations that allow either visa-free entry or a visa upon arrival, rather than a lengthier, more complicated vetting process.

As countries start to open up again, holiday sales are booming. But which country holds the key to as many travel options as possible?

Here are the five top countries for 2022.

Let's first address the elephant in the room: UK and US passports are wholly absent from the top spots, proving to be not half as powerful as they were once thought.

They rank joint 6th, along with Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand and Belgium, stumbling downwards since they were both the pinnacles of the list back in 2014. There’s no definite reason as to why, but it could be the fallout from the adoption of increasingly anti-immigration sentiments by their respective governments.

What it means is various European destinations have cemented their place above the UK and US.

Many Asian countries have soared throughout the index since its creation in 2006. Japan retaining its position as the world’s strongest passport