In October 2017, a separate Global Passport Power Rank was published produced by the consulting company Arton Capital, which recognizes Singapore as essentially the most powerful passport on the planet. However, Germany has since done so regained first place on this rating which suggests his passport is really the most dear.
Well, it didn’t take very long.
According to the web site, Germany is officially the country with essentially the most powerful passport on the planet Henley Passport Index 2018. This is the fifth 12 months in a row that the European country has topped Henley’s list of nations a passport holder can visit with no visa.
The rating was based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most comprehensive database of traveler information. The index is predicated on the number of nations to which different passport holders can travel with no visa.
The report shows that German residents can now visit 177 countries, yet another than in 2017. According to the 2016 Henley Visa Restrictions Index, Singapore passport holders, comfortably coming in second place, can travel visa-free to 176 countries, in comparison with 173 countries.
Third on the list are Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Passport holders from these countries can travel visa-free to 175 countries.
Here are the 15 strongest passports on the planet and the number of nations their holders can visit without visas:
1. Germany 177
2. Singapore 176
3. Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain 175
4. Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland 174
5. Ireland, South Korea, Portugal, USA 173
6.Canada 172
7. Australia, Greece, New Zealand 171
8. Czech Republic, Iceland 170
9. Malta 169
10. Hungary 168
11. Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia 167
12. Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia 166
13. Estonia 165
14. Poland 163
15. Monaco 162
Together, fourth place within the index is occupied by Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain, which have visa-free travel to 174 countries.
The United States and South Korea took fifth place because their passports allow visa-free travel to 173 countries.
Rankings in Southeast Asia “remained stable” and Singapore stays “the best-performing country within the region,” in accordance with the index.
Malaysia ranks second regionally and twelfth globally as passport holders can travel visa-free to 166 countries. Indonesia rose seven places to 72nd on the planet after signing visa agreements with countries comparable to Qatar in 2017.
Southeast Asia Ranking
|
SEA Ranking |
Global rating |
Country |
Access for visa-free countries |
|
1 |
2 |
Singapore |
176 |
|
2 |
12 |
Malaysia |
166 |
|
3 |
22 |
Brunei Darussalam |
153 |
|
4 |
56 |
Timor read |
85 |
|
5 |
64 |
Thailand |
73 |
|
6 |
72 |
Indonesia |
63 |
|
7 |
72 |
Philippines |
63 |
|
8 |
86 |
Cambodia |
49 |
|
9 |
88 |
Laos |
47 |
|
10 |
88 |
Vietnam |
47 |
|
11 |
92 |
Myanmar |
42 |
Elsewhere within the region, China ranks seventy fifth on the planet and is climbing fastest in North Asia, in accordance with the index. Visa-free travel now covers 60 countries, up from 51 last 12 months.
Pakistan, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are at the underside of the list for the second 12 months in a row, allowing visa-free access to 30 or fewer countries.
“The need for visa-free travel is greater than ever,” said Henley & Partners Group Chairman Christian H. Kalin.
“In every economic aspect, individuals wish to transcend the constraints placed on them by their country of origin and gain access to business, financial, profession and lifestyle opportunities on a world scale.
The Henley Passport Index shows where individuals fall on the worldwide mobility spectrum, revealing the facility of their passport in comparison with other passports,” he added.
Dr Kalin said most countries included within the index improved or maintained their access in comparison with 2017 results.
“These results reflect the fact that while some countries are tightening their borders, most are actually becoming more open as they seek to capitalize on the enormous economic value that tourism, international trade and migration can bring.”
Source: Business Insider | Channel NewsAsia | Henley Passport Index
