Passports are an example of how nations have power and influence around the world. For some people, they can travel internationally with ease since they have limited visa requirements, while others have many obstacles before they can be allowed to travel.
Henley & Partners is a British company that constantly evaluates passports and then ranks them according to the facilities they provide for their owners.
The firm avers this in its latest report, which was on 18 June, saying that Japanese passport lost its 1st position and now is the second with 192 of the world’s 227 visa-free destinations.
Singapore Takes the Passport Ranking Lead
According to the latest Henley Passport Index, published on 18 June, Singapore has emerged as the country with the most powerful passport in the world. It is worth mentioning at this moment that this city-state’s citizens possess a new record by being able to visit 195 countries worldwide without obtaining a visa from the embassy. This represents a significant leap from last year’s rankings, where Japan had claimed this position.
Top-Tier Passports
Here are the countries with the highest-ranking passports:
- Singapore — 195 visa-free destinations.
- France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain — 192 visa-free destinations.
- Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden — 190 visa-free destinations.
The United Kingdom's Position
The United Kingdom is still in 4th place, and it shares that rank with Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland even though its visa-free score has dwindled down to 190 destinations. During the same period ten years ago, however, alongside US; UK was leading in such matters about immigration.
The United States is getting worse every year, ranking at eight (8) still having access to one hundred and eighty-six (186) countries without a visa. However, this is a huge setback from its previous leader place, marked back 10 years ago in 2014.
Notable Climbers and Fallers
Some nations have witnessed remarkable progressions in their passport rankings over the past decade:
- United Arab Emirates — Entered the Top 10 for the first time, rising from 62nd to 9th place with 185 visa-free destinations.
- China — Climbed from 83rd to 59th place, now enjoying access to 85 destinations.
- Ukraine — Advanced from 53rd to 30th place, with 148 visa-free destinations.
Conversely, some countries have experienced significant declines:
- Russia — Dropped from 38th to 45th place, with visa-free access to 116 destinations.
- Venezuela — Suffered the greatest fall, plunging from 25th to 42nd place. On 28 July, the country will face a crucial presidential election, which could affect millions of refugees who have been caused by political and economic crises.
Afghanistan, by being ranked number 103ᵉ, remains at the bottom of the list as it has only 27 visa-free countries.