Most powerful passports ranked, Top 3 – Japan, Singapore, Germany
TravelBizNews —
London: Japan has consolidated its spot at the top of the Henley Passport Index, now offering its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a record total of 189 destinations.
Following closely behind Japan are Singapore and Germany in joint 2nd place, with 188 destinations accessible without a prior visa, according to Henley Passport Index.
The 3rd place is shared by six countries: one Asian (South Korea) and the rest European (Finland, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden).
While Schengen Area countries have traditionally topped the index as a result of their open access to Europe, developed Asian nations have been able to secure equally high scores in recent years due to their strong international trade and diplomatic relations.
With close to 40 visa-waiver agreements signed by governments since the start of the year, passport-holders around the world go into the summer season with greater collective access than ever before.
Boosting this trend, Russia -which is usually off-limits to nationals of most countries – announced in April that visas would be waived for all travelers holding tickets to the June–July FIFA World Cup.
The US and the UK are tied in 4th place, along with Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The UAE, in 23rd place, remains the fastest overall climber on the index, ascending 38 places since 2008 .
China has significantly strengthened its position on the ranking, climbing from 74th to 68th position since Q1- although the country’s relatively low score of 70 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations means that it still cannot compete with North Asian high-performers Japan and South Korea.
The Philippine passport is ranked in the 70th place, now offering citizens easy access to 66 countries, followed by the Indian travel document in the 76th position, now offering holders ease of travel to 59 destinations.
Travellers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan enjoy travel freedom when visiting 42, 41, 40 and 33 countries, respectively.
Iraq and Afghanistan sit at the very bottom of the Henley Passport Index, in 100th place, each able to access only 30 destinations worldwide.
The Henley Passport Index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has recently been updated through extensive research to include eight new travel destinations.
According to Dr. Christian H. Kälin, Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, “ the Henley Passport Index surveys a total of 199 different passports against 227 different travel destinations, including countries, territories, and micro-states. The index is innovating the way we map and measure travel freedom, making it easier for individuals to understand where exactly they lie on the spectrum of global mobility.”
Most powerful 10 passports :
- Japan: 189 destinations
2. Germany and Singapore: 188 destinations
- Finland, France, Italy, Sweden, Spain, South Korea: 187 destinations
4.Norway, United Kingdom, Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, United States: 186 destinations
5.Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada: 185 destinations
6.Australia and Greece: 183 destinations
7.New Zealand, Czech Republic, Malta: 182 destinations
- Iceland: 181 destinations
9.Hungary, Slovenia, Malaysia: 180 destinations
- Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania: 179 destinations
Asian passports rank:
China: 70 countries
Philippines: 66 countries
India: 59 countries
Sri Lanka: 42 countries
Bangladesh: 41
Nepal: 40 (95th place)
Pakistan: 33 (98th place)
Inputs from Henley & Partners
May 23, 2018
Image :Himeji Castle , also known as White Heron Castle (Shirasagijo) due to its elegant, white appearance, is widely considered as Japan’s most spectacular castle for its imposing size and beauty and its well preserved, complex castle grounds. The castle is both a national treasure and a world heritage site . / Japan Travel Guide
