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Summarised by Centrist
New Zealand’s passport has been ranked among the most powerful in the world, giving Kiwis visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 186 destinations.
The NZ passport comes out ahead of Australia and Canada, and well above the United States and United Kingdom.
The latest Henley Passport Index ranks New Zealand alongside Greece, Portugal, and Sweden in sixth place, up slightly from previous years.
Australia sits one tier lower with 185 visa-free destinations, while Canada ranks ninth, and the United States has dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in two decades, now tied for 12th with Malaysia.
Among the Five Eyes intelligence partners – New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States – New Zealand now holds the strongest passport. Analysts say the rankings reflect the country’s reputation for openness and trust, and the absence of restrictive travel or visa policies.
By comparison, the United States’ steep decline reflects a more inward-looking approach, with fewer reciprocal visa arrangements and what Henley & Partners described as a “loss of passport power.” The UK’s ranking has also slipped in recent years following changes to European travel rules.
For New Zealanders, the ranking confirms one of the country’s quiet global advantages: a passport that allows easy access to much of the world without the bureaucracy faced by larger nations.
