Vietnam's Passport Soars 6 Spots in Global Ranking

The latest release of the Henley Passport Index, by London-based advisory firm Henley & Partners, reveals that the Vietnamese passport has made a significant leap, moving up six spots to secure the 82nd position. This positive development means that Vietnamese citizens can now enjoy visa-free access to 55 destinations worldwide. Notably, Vietnam shares its ranking with Cambodia, Guinea-Bissau, and Mali.

While the Vietnamese passport’s ranking has improved from 88th place in the previous January ranking, the number of visa-free destinations remains the same. In Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese passport holds a more favorable position than Laos (87th) and Myanmar (89th).

Singapore has emerged as the country with the most powerful passport, surpassing Japan. Singaporean citizens now benefit from visa-free entry to an impressive 192 global destinations. The Malaysian passport secured the 11th position, granting visa-free access to 180 destinations, while the Thai passport ranked 64th, allowing visits to 79 countries without a visa requirement.

The Henley Passport Index evaluates 199 global passports based on the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa. This index is continuously updated throughout the year to reflect changes in visa policies. In the latest ranking, Japan dropped to the third position, with visa-free access to 189 destinations, sharing its rank with Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden. Italy, Germany, and Spain jointly hold the second position, with visa-free access to 190 destinations.

At the bottom of the list, Afghanistan offers easy access to only 27 destinations. Yemen (99), Pakistan (100), Syria (101), and Iraq (102) round up the bottom five.

Vietnam has made notable progress in facilitating travel, now allowing visa waivers for 25 countries and offering e-visas to citizens of 80 countries and territories. The Henley Passport Index, with its 18 years of historical data, relies on exclusive information from the International Air Transport Association. It is updated quarterly and serves as a reliable reference tool for assessing a passport’s global mobility ranking.