The Barbadian passport continues to be the most powerful in the region.

The latest edition of the  Henley Passport Index ranked the Barbadian passport as the 24th most powerful in the world, with its visa-free access to 163 destinations. 

The top 10 most powerful Caribbean passports in 2023 are:

• Barbados: ranking at #24 with visa-free access to 163 destinations
• St Kitts and Nevis: ranking at #26 with visa-free access to 157 destinations
• Bahamas: ranking at #27 with visa-free access to 155 destinations
• St Vincent and the Grenadines: ranking at #30 with visa-free access to 152 destinations
• Antigua and Barbuda tied with Trinidad and Tobago: ranking at #31 with visa-free access to 151 destinations
• St Lucia: ranking at #33 with visa-free access to 147 destinations
• Grenada: ranking at #34 with visa-free access to 146 destinations
• Dominica: ranking at #35 with visa-free access to 145 destinations
• Belize: ranking at #54 with visa-free access to 103 destinations
• Guyana: ranking at #62 with visa-free access to 88 destinations

The country with the least powerful passport in the Caribbean is Haiti, ranking 94th globally, with visa-free access to 49 destinations.

In its report, Henley & Partners said its index is the "original and most authoritative ranking of all the world's passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa." 

The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.

"The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world's largest and most accurate database of travel information and is enhanced by the Henley & Partners Research Department," the report said.

Now, how are the scores determined?

Each passport is scored on the total number of destinations the holder can access visa-free.

For each travel destination, if no visa is required, then a score of one is allowed for that passport. This applies if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor's permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) upon entry.

When a visa is required, or where a passport holder must apply for a government-approved electronic visa (e-visa) before departure, a score of zero is assigned. 

The same applies if they need pre-departure approval for a visa on arrival.