Almost two months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the impact on travel freedom and mobility has been more dramatic than even the most pessimistic commentators were predicting at the war’s outset, according to Henley & Partners, publishers of the respected Henley Passport Index, which ranks the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

Indeed, says Henley, the war has created a “profound and perhaps irreversible impact on freedom of movement within (Europe) as a new Iron Curtain descends.”

The invasion has triggered the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, with more than 4 million Ukrainians having fled to neighbouring countries. In response to Russia’s actions, the EU, the US, Canada, and other Western countries have closed their airspaces to Russian air carriers, imposed stiff travel bans on individual Russian citizens, and in many cases have stopped processing visa applications altogether, effectively condemning the Russian passport to junk status throughout much of the developed world.

In stark contrast, the EU has approved an emergency plan allowing Ukrainians to live and work in any of its 27 member states for up to three years while many other Western countries have adjusted their visa policies in favour of Ukrainian passport holders or waived visa requirements altogether.

According to the latest Henley Passport Index, which is based on official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Ukraine currently has a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 143, a record high for the country, which now ranks 34th on the index (having climbed 26 places since 2012), while Russia trails behind in 49th place, with a score of 117 – a gap that is likely to increase even further in the coming months as a result of the conflict.

Elsewhere on the ranking, Japan and Singapore continue to share No. 1 spot, with their passport holders able to access 192 destinations around the world visa-free, not taking temporary COVID restrictions into account. Canada ranks seventh on the list with its citizens having access to 185 global destinations.

Among the closely ranked top 10, Germany and South Korea shared joint second place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 190, while Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain share third place, with their passport holders able to access 189 destinations around the world without having to acquire a visa in advance.

The UK, which recently dropped all remaining COVID-related restrictions, now sits in fifth place, with a score of 187, with the US just one place behind in sixth spot, with a score of 186. Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the index with its nationals only able to access 26 destinations visa-free.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says the latest update provides a unique snapshot of a volatile and rapidly changing world.

“As the value of the Russian passport rapidly declines and the world opens its doors to Ukrainians, it is abundantly clear that the passport you hold determines your fate and dramatically impacts the opportunities you have. While it is impossible to predict what the world will look like in the shadow of a new Cold War, the latest (Henley) index suggests that the divide between Russia and much of the Western world will only increase.”