According to the Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries based on the number of visa-free destinations for passport holders, Turkey's visa-free entry count increased from 111 last year to 118 this year. In the 2024 Henley Passport Index, published quarterly, six countries shared the top spot with 194 visa-free destinations.
In the last five years, Japan and Singapore, which have stood out as the "World's Most Powerful Passports," have been joined by four European Union (EU) countries this year. With France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, individuals holding passports from these six countries can now travel visa-free to 194 out of 227 destinations worldwide. South Korea, with visa-free access to 193 destinations, ranks second, joining Finland and Sweden. Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands, all EU countries, share the third position with visa-free access to 192 destinations.
Looking at the remaining rankings, European countries largely dominate the top 10. The United Kingdom, with visa-free access to 191 destinations (up from 188 a year ago), rose two places to the fourth position. Passport holders from Australia and New Zealand climbed to the sixth position with access to 189 visa-free destinations. The United States maintains its seventh position with visa-free access to 188 destinations. It's worth noting that in 2014, the UK and the US shared the top spot in the index.
The strength of the Turkish passport has also increased. While the number of countries that Turkish passport holders could enter without a visa was 116 in 2023, it has risen to 118 in 2024.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues to be the country with the most significant rise in the Henley Passport Index over the past 10 years. Adding 106 new destinations since 2014, the UAE jumped 44 places from 55th to 11th.
Ukraine and China are among the top five countries that have improved their rankings the most in the last 10 years. Both Ukraine and China, with a net gain of 21 positions overall, have made significant strides in the past year, with Ukraine now at 32nd place with visa-free access to 148 destinations, and China at 62nd place with visa-free access to 85 destinations. Although Russia has gained a net total of 24 new destinations in the last 10 years, its visa-free score and ranking have remained largely unchanged since 2017. Russia currently ranks 51st with visa-free access to 119 destinations.
Burak Demirel, Managing Partner of Henley & Partners Turkey, stated, "Both visa freedom and investment migration are significant levers for a country's economic progress. The power derived from passports is a key point in this lever. Investment migration is a real win-win, long-term, and sustainable solution for all stakeholders, whether they are investors or nation-states and their citizens."
Burak Demirel continued, "Economic activity is becoming increasingly challenging globally. The focal points are also changing, and Turkish business people targeting new markets and economic expansions will be more focused on foreign markets throughout 2024. In addition, we observe that the visa crises experienced in 2023 still persist globally. This issue inevitably restricts economic activities. In this sense, alternative citizenship and residency programs stand out as the most important options to access visa-free travel opportunities."
Highlighting that there have been some changes in citizenship and residency programs alongside visa crises, Burak Demirel shared the following information: "After negotiations with the European Commission in the last quarter of 2023, St. Kitts and Nevis Island doubled the investment conditions for residency and citizenship. We expect countries in the Caribbean, such as Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada, to also tighten their application conditions. In the Caribbean region, a $100,000 donation is still sufficient to access citizenship programs. However, interview requirements have also been introduced in this regard."
In Europe, drawing attention to Portugal and Spain, Burak Demirel stated, "Portugal, which has the possibility of obtaining citizenship with a short-term residence in Europe, has approved an encouraging law in parliament. If the President does not veto the law, investors will now be able to transition to citizenship within 5 years instead of waiting for 6-7 years. Acquiring residency in Europe by purchasing real estate is also attractive in Spain. In Spain, residency can be obtained with a real estate investment of 500,000 Euros."