ITALY'S PASSPORT SHINES: AMONG THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL IN 2025
In the new Henley Passport Index, Italy confirms its global leadership in freedom of movement. However, the ranking also reveals deep inequalities in global access.
In 2025, being an Italian citizen means being able to travel freely to almost every corner of the planet: our passport, in fact, allows visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to 189 out of 227 countries. This achievement places us in third place overall – tied with Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Finland, and Denmark – in the new Henley Passport Index, the world's most authoritative ranking on passport "power."
What is the Henley Passport Index and how it works
The Henley Passport Index is a ranking compiled by the international consulting firm Henley & Partners. It's based on a very simple and concrete piece of data: how many countries in the world allow a citizen access without a visa, or with a visa obtainable upon arrival.
For 2025, the index analyzed 199 national passports and their access possibilities to 227 global destinations, constantly updating the data based on the official regulations of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Each passport receives a "visa-free score," which is the number of destinations that document allows access to without needing to apply for a traditional visa in advance. For example, the Italian passport has a score of 189. This means its holders can travel to 189 countries without needing a prior visa. In contrast, the Afghan passport, ranking last, allows direct access to only 25 countries.
This index doesn't measure a country's "prestige" or wealth, but rather the trust that other states place in its citizens. Therefore, indirectly, it also reflects its position in diplomatic networks and international cooperation.
The 2025 podium
At the top of the ranking we find:
Singapore: 193 accessible destinations;
Japan and South Korea: 190;
Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Finland, Denmark: 189.
Italy, therefore, remains firmly among the top nations in the world for freedom of movement, thanks to its political stability, diplomatic reputation, low perception of migratory risk by other governments, and participation in many multilateral organizations.
It's worth noting that not all European countries are on the podium: the United Kingdom and Switzerland, for example, are slightly below with 187 destinations. Australia is at 185, and the United States – which topped the ranking until 2014 – is now only ninth, with 182 destinations.
At the bottom of the ranking
At the opposite end are nations most penalized by conflicts, political isolation, or internal instability. Among the ten weakest passports in the world are:
Afghanistan: 25 countries;
Syria: 27;
Iraq: 30;
Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia: 32;
Libya, Nepal: 38.
In essence, those born in these states need a prior visa for almost any movement beyond their borders. This entails more bureaucracy, high costs, long waits, and often discrimination or refusal. In many cases, even when the conditions for travel would otherwise exist – for study, medical treatment, or work – the passport effectively becomes an obstacle. Thus, in a world increasingly interconnected economically yet politically divided, the right to cross borders remains highly unequally distributed.
