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There are
few things more liberating than travel -- although some passports offer
more freedom than others.
A new report published October 9, 2018, reveals just how many borders
some travel documents can cross.
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According to the Henley Passport Index, compiled by global citizenship
and residence advisory firm Henley & PartnersCitizens, Japan now has the
most powerful passport on the planet.
Having gained visa-free access to Myanmar earlier this month, Japanese
citizens can now enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a whopping
190 destinations around the world -- knocking Singapore, with 189
destinations, into second place.
Germany, which began 2018 in the top spot, is now in third place with
188 destinations, tied with France and South Korea.
Uzbekistan lifted visa requirements for French nationals on October 5,
having already granted visa-free access to Japanese and Singaporean
citizens in early February.
South Korea gained visa-free access to Myanmar on October 1, while
Paraguay removed visa requirements for Singaporean passport holders in
2017.
Movers and shakers
The United States and the UK, both with visa-free or visa-on-arrival
access to 186 destinations, are in fifth place. With neither having
gained entry to any new jurisdictions this year, it seems unlikely that
either will soon reclaim the No.1 spot they held in 2015.
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Russia has fallen to 47th position, despite having received a boost in
September when Taiwan announced a visa-waiver for Russian nationals.
The United Arab Emirates is the decade's biggest success story when it
comes to travel freedom. It's risen from 62nd place in 2006 to now being
No. 21 in the rankings.
It's also recently signed a visa-waiver agreement with Russia, due to
come into effect in the coming months.
China recently obtained access to St. Lucia and Myanmar and is now in
71st place, having climbed 14 places since the start of 2017.
Christian H. Kälin, Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, commented in a
statement on "the extraordinary results that states can achieve when
they work hand in hand with their global peers to build a more
interconnected and collaborative world.
"China and the UAE exemplify this kind of progress, with both states
among the highest overall climbers compared to 2017, purely as a result
of the strong relationships they have built with partner countries
around the world."
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Henley Passport Index power ranking
1. Japan: 190
2. Singapore: 189
3. Germany, France, South Korea: 188
4. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Spain: 187
5. Norway, United Kingdom, Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal,
United States: 186
6. Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada: 185
7. Australia, Greece, Malta: 183
8. New Zealand, Czech Republic: 182
9. Iceland: 181
10. Hungary, Slovenia, Malaysia: 180
So which passports offer the least mobility?
Joint last place on the updated Henley Passport Index list are
Afghanistan and Iraq, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 30
jurisdictions, just below Syria and Somalia (32) and Pakistan (33).
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Other indexes
Henley & Partner's list is one of several indexes created by financial
firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to
their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International
Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel
destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year, as and
when visa policy changes come into effect.
Arton Capital's Passport Index takes into consideration the passports of
193 United Nations member countries and six territories -- ROC Taiwan,
Macao (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory
and the Vatican. Territories annexed to other countries are excluded.
Its 2018 index put Singapore and Germany on top, with a score of 165,
followed by Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Italy, France, Norway,
Netherlands, Spain, South Korea and the US, all with a score of 164.
The Nomad Passport Index, meanwhile, ranks 199 citizenships on five
factors: visa-free travel, international taxation, perception, dual
citizenship and personal freedom.
According to its 2017 list, the most desirable passports come from
Sweden, followed by Belgium. Spain and Italy tied for third, with
Ireland rounding out the top five.
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