Word on the street is that our nifty green book has jumped a few spots in the Henley Passport Index, an important survey of passport power, from 58 in 2021 to 51.
Unfortunately, South Africans may need to hold off on doing a happy dance as SA passports may not have actually gained any power, reports Business Insider.
The South African passport will provide you visa-free (or visa-on-arrival) access to 104 countries and territories, which is up by just one since last year. However, this does not mean much as passports ranked higher on the list have also found themselves moving on up or down.
For example, some passports which ranked at position 5 increased from two in 2021 to five again in 2022. Because Henley ranks countries with the same level of access altogether, South Africa has managed to jump a few spots.
Henley has indicated that the level of access to the world has significantly increased over the last 15 years, with the average traveller only having access to around 57 countries without prior approval in 2006, which has increased to 107.
So, just which countries are scoring when it comes to travelling? Here is the list of the top 5 countries with the most powerful passports, according to Henley:
- Japan and Singapore, with access to 192 visa-free destinations
- Germany and South Korea, with access to 190
- Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain, with 189
- Austria and Denmark, with 188
- Ireland and Portugal, with 187
Also Read:
Here’s why you won’t be able to get your driving license card anytime soon
Picture: Cape {town} Etc Gallery