PR84670

LONDON, July 7, 2020, /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

As parts of the globe cautiously begin to open up, the focus is on what travel

freedom and global mobility will look like in a post–Covid-19 world. Last week

the EU released a list of countries that would be allowed entry into the bloc

from 1 July based on health and safety criteria. Included were Australia,

Canada, Japan, and South Korea that traditionally score highly on the Henley

Passport Index [https://www.henleypassportindex.com/ ] — the original ranking

of all the world's passports according to the number of destinations you can

access without a visa. However, in a move perceived as a stinging rebuke for

its poor handling of the pandemic, the US was notably excluded from the welcome

list, as were Brazil and Russia.

Although not reflected in the latest ranking, which does not take temporary

travel bans into account, it is eye-opening to consider what travel freedom

currently looks like for the holders of once-prestigious passports. The US

passport usually ranks in the top 10, with its citizens able to access 185

destinations without a visa. However, under the current EU ban, Americans have

roughly the same level of travel freedom as citizens of Uruguay and Mexico

(ranked 28th and 25th respectively).

Russian citizens — whose passport usually ranks ahead of countries such as

Georgia and Albania (both included on the EU's list) — have seen their passport

strength reduced to one of the weakest in the region. And Brazilian passport

holders — most recently placed 19th on the index — currently have roughly the

same travel freedom as citizens of Paraguay in 36th position.

Without taking the current travel bans into account, Japan continues to hold

the number one spot on the Henley Passport Index

[https://www.henleyglobal.com/henley-passport-index/ ] with a score of 191.

Singapore remains in 2nd place, while Germany and South Korea are in joint-3rd

place. Singapore however has been excluded from the EU list so its citizens

currently have far less travel freedom than their closest competitors on the

index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport

Association (IATA) [https://www.iata.org/ ].  

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin [https://chriskalin.com/ ], Chairman of Henley &

Partners https://www.henleyglobal.com/ ] and the inventor of the passport index

concept, says this latest decision by the EU indicates there's more upheaval to

come. "Look at the US passport, for example — in 2014, it held the number one

spot in the world on our index, but US nationals currently have far less travel

freedom than most citizens of wealthy, industrialized nations and even of some

less developed nations, being effectively locked out of Europe. In the coming

months, we will see an emergence of a new global hierarchy in terms of

mobility, with countries who have effectively managed the pandemic taking the

lead, while countries who have handled it poorly falling behind."

Experts suggest that the Covid-19 crisis is likely to make international

mobility more restricted and unpredictable in the longer term. "Even as

countries open their borders, it is expected that numerous governments will use

epidemiological concerns as a justification for imposing new immigration

restrictions and nationality-targeted travel bans that will mainly be aimed at

citizens of developing countries," says Prof. Dr. Yossi Harpaz

[https://en-social-sciences.m.tau.ac.il/profile/yharpaz# ] , Assistant Professor of Sociology at Tel Aviv University.

Noting the recent decision by the EU with respect to the US and other

countries, Harpaz says, "The passports of both developing and developed nations

stand to decrease in value, at least temporarily. In such uncertain times,

global demand for dual citizenship and investor visas is expected to increase."

Dr. Juerg Steffen

[https://www.henleyglobal.com/key-people-details/dr-juerg-steffen/ ], CEO of

Henley & Partners [https://www.henleyglobal.com/ ], says for investors and

their families, "having a second citizenship or an alternative residence is an

even more precious asset than ever before, as concerns over access to

first-rate healthcare, global mobility, and quality of life take on a new urgency."

Photo:

https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200972/Henley_Passport_Index_Infographic.jpg

Media Contact

Paddy Blewer

Group PR Director

paddy.blewer@henleyglobal.com

SOURCE: Henley & Partners