Barbados retains strongest Caribbean passport for 10th straight year

Barbados continues to hold the most powerful passport in the Caribbean, ranking 20th globally in the 2025 Henley Passport Index with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 163 destinations.

- Advertisement -
Journey to Kingston-728x90

The island nation once again leads its regional peers, maintaining its reputation for broad global mobility. This is the 10th straight year that the island has maintained its position.

Close behind is The Bahamas, which sits at 21st with access to 159 countries, followed by St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 24th (156 countries), and St. Kitts and Nevis in 25th (154 countries).

The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without obtaining a visa in advance. It covers 199 passports and 227 destinations globally. The 2025 rankings highlight not just regional leaders but also notable shifts among global powers.

According to Henley & Partners, the United Kingdom and United States have each dropped one spot since January, continuing a long-term decline in global passport strength. Once the most powerful passports in the world — the UK in 2015 and the US in 2014 — they now rank 6th and 10th, respectively. The UK offers access to 186 destinations, while the US trails with 182, putting it on the brink of falling out of the global Top 10 for the first time in the index’s 20-year history.

Other Caribbean nations featured in this year’s index include:

  • Antigua and Barbuda – 26th (152 countries)

  • Trinidad and Tobago – 28th (148 countries)

  • Grenada – 29th (147 countries)

    - Advertisement -
    Uber Free Rides 728x90
  • St. Lucia – 30th (146 countries)

  • Dominica – 32nd (143 countries)

  • Belize – 49th (102 countries)

  • Guyana – 54th (91 countries)

  • Jamaica – 56th (88 countries)

  • Suriname – 64th (78 countries)

  • Dominican Republic – 67th (73 countries)

  • Cuba – 76th (60 countries)

  • Haiti – 83rd (52 countries)

Singapore once again tops the global ranking, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations, followed by Japan (190), and a group of European countries including France, Germany, and Italy.

The 2025 Index reflects both the Caribbean’s steady improvement in global mobility—driven in part by visa waiver agreements and citizenship-by-investment programs—and the shifting dynamics affecting traditional powerhouses like the U.S. and UK.

The full rankings can be accessed at henleyglobal.com/passport-index.

More Stories

Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission

Antigua election commission rejects fraud claims, warns of possible legal action

The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) has strongly rejected allegations questioning the legitimacy of Antigua and Barbuda’s April 30 general election and warned...
Trinidad Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Trinidad and Tobago refuses to recognize CARICOM secretary general beyond August

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says Trinidad and Tobago will not recognize Dr. Carla Barnett as Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) after her...
Andrew Holness and Mark Golding

Jamaica ranked Caribbean’s top country for electoral democracy in UNDP report

Jamaica has retained its position as the leading country in the Caribbean for electoral democracy, according to the 2025 Electoral Democracy Index featured in...

Belize highlights CARICOM opportunities for youth during panel discussion

Belizean students and young professionals gathered in Belmopan on Tuesday for a panel discussion focused on the opportunities available through Caribbean regional integration as...
A resident in Black River, St. Elizabeth, repairs his roof in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Jamaica audit finds only 1.8% of Hurricane Melissa donations spent months after storm

Jamaica’s disaster response system is under scrutiny after an audit revealed that only a small portion of the billions donated for Hurricane Melissa recovery...

Davis, PLP reelected in Bahamas landslide election victory

Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis and his governing Progressive Liberal Party secured a decisive reelection on Tuesday, positioning Davis to become the first Bahamian...
plane

10 rescued after Bahamas-origin plane crashes off Florida coast

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue operation on Tuesday successfully recovered all 10 people aboard a small aircraft that crashed off the Florida coast shortly...
UN Security Council urged to speed up action on Haiti

Haiti sees alarming rise in gender-based violence, UN says

A sharp rise in gender-based violence in Haiti during the first three months of 2026 is raising alarm among United Nations humanitarian agencies, which...

Bermuda earns Positive outlook from KBRA amid economic gains

The Government of Bermuda has welcomed a new ratings decision from Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA), which affirmed the island’s long-term issuer ratings at...
Haiti MSF

MSF evacuates Haiti hospital after intense gang fighting erupts in Port-au-Prince

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says it has evacuated and suspended operations at its hospital in the Cité Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince after intense fighting...

Latest Articles