The world’s most powerful passport is shared by six countries, each offering visa-free access to 194 destinations.
While Japan and Singapore have held the top spot for the past five years, this year has seen four European countries – Germany, Spain, France and Italy – rise in the rankings.
The Henley Passport Index is the original and authoritative ranking of global passports, based on the number of destinations their holders can travel without a visa. This index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the largest and most accurate travel information database, and is further refined by the research team at Henley & Partners.
According to this report, the Spanish Passport is ranked number 1, being recognised as the world’s most powerful passport for 2024-2025.
One way to obtain a Spanish Passport is through the Spanish nationality process via the Democratic Memory Law. This law permits to hold both a British passport and a Spanish passport, without having to renounce either.
The Council of Ministers has approved a one-year extension for the deadline to exercise the right to opt for Spanish nationality, as specified in the eighth additional provision of Law 20/2022 on Democratic Memory.
The law recognises the right to apply for nationality for individuals born outside of Spain to a father, mother, grandfather, or grandmother who were originally Spanish but lost or renounced Spanish nationality due to exile for political, ideological, religious, or reasons related to sexual orientation and identity, as well as for persons in the following situations:
(a) Sons and daughters born abroad to Spanish citizens who lost their Spanish nationality due to marrying a foreigner before the 1978 Constitution came into effect.
(b) Adult sons and daughters of Spanish nationals whose original Spanish nationality has been recognised through the right of option, in accordance with the provisions of this Law or the seventh additional provision of Law 52/2007, which acknowledges and extends rights and establishes measures for those who suffered persecution or violence during the Civil War and the dictatorship.
The eighth additional provision of the Law of Democratic Memory specifies that the two-year period begins upon the law’s entry into force, with its validity concluding on 22 October 2024.
The Government is extending the two-year period for applying for Spanish citizenship by one year.
This extension ensures that all submitted applications for appointments and pending dates can be processed, as well as any applications that could not be addressed within the initial first two-year period stipulated by the law. With this extension, the new deadline is now 22 October, 2025.
