The Australian passport is now among the five most powerful in the world according to the latest rankings which also show Greece followed closely in sixth.

According to the new Henley Passport Index world rankings, Australia has risen three places from last year (one from earlier in 2024) to join Portugal in fifth place.

Greek passports are now the sixth most powerful in the world, going up by one from last year, while Cyprus has fallen to 13th place.

Holders of the Greek passport now have free access to 188 destinations in the World, while Australia to 189 destinations, and Cyprus to 178 (without a prior visa).

The Australian passport is now ranked higher than that of the USA, which fell from seventh place to eighth – a continued decline it has been experiencing since it topped the rankings alongside the UK a decade ago.

Singapore sits in first, leaving behind the group of six countries with which it shared first place with until recently.

Their passport now allows visa-free access to 195 of the 227 global destinations.

As for how open nations are, Australia ranks 83rd out of 99 countries, as one of the least open nations in the world.

Only 34 countries allow visits to Australia without prior visa authorisation, while Australians can travel to 183 destinations visa-free.