(CNN) – The days of walking into an airport, showering a passport, and then taking a flight to any favorite place, for now, are a distant souvenir.
The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the travel landscape, perhaps for decades to come.
Countries around the world are entering new locks, but even when restrictions are lifted, mandatory vaccinations are likely to be required before air travel is imminent.
Japan is at the top of the list
Asian citizens still have the most powerful travel documents in the world.
The index does not take into account temporary restrictions, so Japan is once again at the top of the board, offering visa-free or visa-free access when you reach 191 destinations across the world. world.
Singapore is in second place (with a score of 190) and South Korea joins Germany in third place (with a score of 189).
Slightly down the top 10, New Zealand is in seventh position, with visa-free access to 185 destinations, while Australia is in eighth place, with access to 184 destinations.
This APAC leadership is a relatively new phenomenon in the 16-year history of the index.
The move was traditionally considered by the United States, the United Kingdom and EU countries but, reports Henley & Partners when it was released, “experts suggest that the APAC region ‘s strength position will continue as includes some of the first countries to begin the process of recovering from the pandemic. “
Coronavirus case numbers are currently rising sharply in the US and UK, with the UK at the heart of a rapidly evolving new version.
The associated temporary travel restrictions mean that – although the UK and the United States are ranked seventh on the Henley list – the fact is that U.S. travel passers are able to travel less. than 75 destinations, while UK travelers have access to less than 70.
Japan holds the lead for 2020.
Images TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP / Getty
Unstable UAE
There were very few high-profile visa agreements between countries in 2020 – with the United Arab Emirates as a notable exception, says Henley & Partners.
The UAE signed a number of consensual visa disposal agreements last year, including a formal U.S. bankruptcy agreement formally linking up with Israel and allowing citizens from all over the country.
The UAE ranks 16th in the ranking, with visa / visa-free access when you reach 173 destinations. That’s a dramatic increase from its position back when the index started in 2006, when the country was placed 62nd, with a reach of just 35.
‘Everyone for themselves’
“Just a year ago it was likely that global rates of movement would continue to rise, that freedom of travel would increase, and that powerful passport passengers would have more access than ever before,” said Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and a passport index concept engineer.
“The lockdown of the world closed these glorious projections, and as restrictions begin to build, the results from the latest index are a reminder of what passport power means in a world that is the epidemic of tuberculosis. “
In terms of future global mobility, we should not expect to return to pre-pandemic patterns, says Parag Khanna, author of “The Future is Asian” and founder and managing partner of Singapore consulting firm FutureMap. It may no longer be an issue for nationalism alone to open doors.
“Even for passports that are still powerful such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and members of the EU, additional protocols will be needed to move virtually uninterrupted,” Khanna said.
“Today’s youth are socially conscious, environmentally conscious, and less nationalistic – they are all making them the most mobile generation in human history. They reflect a progressive shift in movement from being all a country for himself to be all to himself. “
The best passports to keep in 2021 are:
1. Japan (191 destinations)
2. Singapore (190)
3. South Korea, Germany (189)
4. Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (188)
5. Denmark, Austria (187)
6. Sweden, France, Portugal, Holland, Ireland (186)
7. Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, New Zealand (185)
8. Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Australia (184)
9. Canada (183)
10. Hungary (181)
Hold the worst passports
Several countries around the world have access to a visa or visa to less than 40 countries. These include:
103. North Korea (39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal (38)
105. Palestinian Territories (37)
106. Somalia, Yemen (33)
107. Pakistan (32)
108. Syria (29)
109. Iraq (28)
110. Afghanistan (26)
Another index
The Henley & Partner listing is one of several indexes created by finance companies to rank global passports according to the accessibility they provide to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year, as visa policy changes take effect.
The Arton Capital Passport covers the passports of 193 UN member states and six regions – ROC Taiwan, Macau (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestine Region and the Vatican. Areas connected with other countries are excluded.
His 2021 index puts Germany at the top, with a visa / visa-reaching score of 134.