Japan now enjoys visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations, compared to Singapore’s total of 189.
The ranking released on Tuesday showed that Germany has fallen further to 3rd place, which it now shares with South Korea and France.
France moved up from 4th to 3rd place last Friday when it gained visa-free access to Uzbekistan, while South Korea moved from 4th to 3rd place on 1 October when it gained visa-free access to Myanmar.
Germany, France, and South Korea all have a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 188. Iraq and Afghanistan continue to hold the bottom (106th) spot of the Henley Passport Index, with only 30 destinations accessible to their citizens.
The US and the UK, both with 186 destinations, have also slid down one spot — from 4th to 5th place — with neither having gained access to any new jurisdictions since the start of 2018.
Russia received a boost in September when Taiwan announced a visa-waiver for Russian nationals (valid until July 2019), but the country has fallen from 46th to 47th place compared to Q3, because of movements higher up in the ranking.
Chinese nationals obtained access to two new jurisdictions (St. Lucia and Myanmar), but the Chinese passport fell two places this quarter, to 71st overall.
UAE also improved on the Henley Passport Index, from 62nd place in 2006 to 21st place worldwide currently. The UAE now holds the number 1 passport in the Middle East region.
Speaking on these developments, Dr. Christian H. Kälin, Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, said: “The Henley Passport Index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is an important tool for measuring not only the relative strength of the world’s passports but also 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.”
However, countries with citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs in place all fall within the top 50 of the Henley Passport Index and are continually rising up the ranking.
“CBI programs offer access to some of the world’s strongest and most promising passports,” says Dr. Kälin, “and the merit of these passports is a reflection of the underlying stability and attractiveness of the countries themselves.
“The travel freedom that comes with a second passport is significant for individuals, while the economic and societal value that CBI programs generate for host countries can be transformative.”
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The top 25 passports number of countries accessible below:
Japan 190
Singapore 189
Germany 188
France 188
South Korea 188
Denmark 187
Finland 187
Italy 187
Sweden 187
Spain 187
Norway 186
UK 186
Austria 186
Luxembourg 186
Netherlands 186
Portugal 186
United States 186
Belgium 185
Switzerland 185
Ireland 185
Canada 185
Australia 183
Greece 183
Malta 183
Czech Republic 182
New Zealand 182
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