The 2022 edition of the Henley Passport Index has ranked the Dutch passport as joint-fourth in the world, two places higher than last year.

The 2022 Henley Passport Index

Every year, the Henley Passport Index examines 199 passports from around the world, looking at their visa-free access to 227 travel destinations. Each country is then awarded points depending on how easily holders of that passport are able to travel internationally. 

Passports are awarded one point for every country they can travel to without requiring a visa, or if the traveller can obtain a visa upon arrival, a visitors permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when arriving at their destination. On the other hand, for every destination where a visa or pre-departure government approval is required, the passport received zero points.

Dutch passport named fourth-best in the world

After achieving a very respectable sixth-place score in both 2020 and 2021, the Netherlands managed to rise a couple of places in the 2022 Henley Passport Index, coming in joint-fourth with 188 points - the same score it received in the 2021 ranking.

This score means that any traveller with a Dutch passport can travel to a whopping 188 countries without having to apply for a visa before departure. The same can be said for Austria, France, Denmark, and Sweden.

The best (and worst) passports in the world

According to the 2022 Henley Passport Index, the best passports in the world are:

1. Japan, Singapore (192)
2. Germany, South Korea (190)
3. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189)
4. The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, France, Sweden (188)
5. Ireland, Portugal
6. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, UK, USA
7. Australia, Canada, Czechia, Greece, Malta
8. Hungary, Poland
9. Lithuania, Slovakia
10. Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia

And these are the worst:

1. Afghanistan (26)
2. Iraq (28)
3. Syria (29)
4. Pakistan (31)
5. Yemen (33)
6. Somalia (34)
7. Palestinian Territory, Nepal (37)
8. North Korea (39)
9. Libya, Kosovo, Bangladesh (40)
10. Sudan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon (41)

For more information, visit the Henley & Partners website.