UK Passport still one of world's best but unlikely to get back to pre-Brexit level of 'power'

UK passports are still ranked among best in the world for how many countries they allow visa-free travel to.

But it is unlikely we will see the British passport ranked as the best in the world again, which it was as recently as 2014, according to the people behind an annual passport ranking list.

The Henley Passport Index rates passports on the number of destinations its holder can visit without a prior visa. It is put together by Henley & Partners, a London-based citizenship and residence advisory firm.

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Japanese passport holders have the most visa-free access to the world. There are 193 countries a Japanese passport holder can go to without arranging a prior visa.

Singapore and South Korea share the second spot, at 192.

Of the EU countries, Spain and Germany have the most powerful passports, with both unlocking 190 countries. A UK passport is the seventh most powerful, along with France, Ireland and Portugal.

But the UK document has lost some of its power since the Brexit referendum in 2016. In 2014, it was ranked as the most powerful passport in the world.

The Henley Passport Index says: "The UK and the US remain in 6th and 7th places, with scores of 187 and 186, respectively, and it appears increasingly unlikely that either country will ever regain the top spot on the index which they jointly held nearly a decade ago in 2014."

The world's most powerful passports

Below are the top 10 passports in the world based on the countries they offer access to without a prior visa, according to the Henley Passport Index.

1. Japan (193 destinations)
2. Singapore, South Korea (192 destinations)
3. Germany, Spain (190 destinations)
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189 destinations)
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188 destinations)
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 destinations)
7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States, Czech Republic (186 destinations)
8. Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta (185 destinations)
9. Hungary, Poland (184 destinations)
10. Lithuania, Slovakia (183 destinations)

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