The latest Henley Passport Index has been released and the Netherlands has fallen to the fourth-most powerful passport in the world, allowing citizens to access 191 countries without a visa.
To determine which country has the strongest passport in the world, the Henley Passport Index gathers data from 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. While the official ranking is posted every January, it is updated quarterly to reflect changes in immigration legislation.
Based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), the index awards different passports one point for every country their holders can access without needing to apply for a visa, and any place where entry is possible with a visa on arrival, an easily accessible visitors permit or an electronic travel authority (ETA). On the other hand, for each country where a pre-arranged visa or pre-departure government approval is needed, no points are awarded.
In the first version of the 2025 ranking, the Singaporean passport was named the most powerful in the world for visa-free travel, followed by the Japanese passport. Singaporean nationals can currently travel to 195 countries without a visa, and Japanese citizens can travel to 193.
Last year, the Dutch passport was ranked as the third strongest in the world. However, in the newest version of the ranking, the Netherlands has fallen to fourth place, sharing the position with Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden. In 2025, Dutch passport holders can travel to 191 countries without a visa - good news for Dutch residents who plan on naturalising.
The strength of the Dutch passport, at least according to Henley & Partners, often fluctuates between third, fourth and fifth positions, though consistently ranks in the top 10. Since the ranking started in 2006, the lowest position the Netherlands has taken was in 2021, when the country’s passport was ranked as the sixth-best in the world.
As of January 2025, these are the countries with the most powerful passports in the world according to the Henley Passport Index:
For more information and to see the full ranking, take a look at the Henley Passport Index.