(CNN) - Before Covid-19 struck, the world had more freedom of movement than at any time in history.
Air traffic has been increasing steadily for decades and the average passport holder around the world enjoys visa-free or visa-free access on arrival at 107 destinations around the world.
And then came the travel bans.
The Henley Passport Index, which periodically measures the most travel-friendly passports in the world, has just published its third report of the new decade.
Asian citizens continue to have the travel documents that open the most doors. Japan leads the ranking, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 191 destinations around the world.
Singapore is in second place (with a score of 190) and South Korea is tied with Germany in third place (with a score of 189).
The standard ranking, however, doesn't take into account temporary bans - and that's where, says Henley & Partners in a press release, the juicier details are to be found: "It is telling to consider what freedom of play currently looks like travel for formerly prestigious passport holders. "
Last week, the EU released its list of 14 countries whose residents would be allowed to enter en bloc starting July 1, months after closing its external borders in response to the Covid-19 epidemic.
Japan and South Korea have made the difference in terms of health and safety criteria for EU coronaviruses, as have Australia and Canada (in ninth joint position on the Henley Passport Index).
However, notes Henley & Partner, "in a gesture perceived as a scathing reprimand for its mismanagement of the pandemic", the United States has been a notable exclusion, alongside Brazil and Russia.
The United States is currently ranked seventh in the official index, but under the current EU ban, Americans have roughly the same level of travel freedom as citizens of Mexico (# 25 on the Henley Passport Index, with a score of 159) and Uruguay (no .28, with a score of 153).
Likewise, the absence of Brazil from the list of countries welcomed by the European Union means that, while its official Henley ranking is n ° 19, the current reality is that it is somewhere closer to Paraguay (36th on the index, with a score of 142). .
Singapore, on the other hand, is in second place on the Henley Passport Index, but its exclusion from the EU list means that its passport holders currently have far less freedom to travel than the other countries on the podium: Japan, South Korea and Germany.
Christian H. Kaelin, President of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, believes that the impact of the recent EU decision will be considerable. "As we have already seen, the impact of the pandemic on freedom to travel has been more drastic and lasting than initially anticipated. This latest EU decision indicates that there are more upheavals to come."
The best passports to hold in 2020 are:
1. Japan (191 destinations)
2. Singapore (190)
3. South Korea, Germany (189)
4. Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (188)
5. Denmark, Austria (187)
6. Sweden, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland (186)
7. Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium (185)
8. Greece, New Zealand, Malta, Czech Republic (184)
9. Canada, Australia (183)
10. Hungary (181)
The worst passports to hold
Several countries around the world have access without visa or visa on arrival to less than 40 countries. These include:
103. North Korea (39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal, Palestinian Territory (38)
105. Somalia, Yemen (33)
106. Pakistan (32)
107. Syria (29)
109. Afghanistan (26)
Other indexes
The Henley & Partner list is one of many indices created by financial companies to classify global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year, as visa policy changes.
The Arton Capital Passport Index takes into account the passports of 193 member countries of the United Nations and six territories - ROC Taiwan, Macao (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory and Vatican City. Territories annexed to other countries are excluded.
Its 2020 index places Japan and New Zealand in the lead, with a visa-free score of 118.
