Ten most powerful passports in the world

The Henley Passport Index is a ranking of the most powerful passports in the world based on the number of destinations the passport holders can travel to without having a visa before arrival. The ranking of passports for this year has three Asian nations at the top spot which is a clear indication of the effects of their open-door policies and the mutually beneficial trade policies that they follow.

 

The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and is updated through the year. It covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.

 

Here is the list of the top ten nations in the index:

1. Japan

Japan occupied the top spot for the third year in a row. Passport holders here can travel to 191 countries without a visa or visa on arrival facility.

 

2. Singapore

The second spot was taken by Singapore whose passport holder can travel to 190 destinations without a visa.

 

3. South Korea and Germany

The third place was a tie between South Korea and Germany which had access to 189 destinations

 

4. Italy and Finland

These countries have access to 188 countries of the world

 

5. Spain, Denmark and Luxembourg

These three countries provide visa-free access to 187 countries

 

6. France and Sweden

French and Swedish passport holders can travel to 186 countries of the world without a visa

 

7. Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal

Passport holders of these countries have visa-free access to 185 countries of the world

 

8. US, UK, Norway, Greece and Belgium

The passports of these countries give access to 184 destinations in the world. Interestingly the US and the UK jointly held the top spot five years back

 

9. New Zealand, Malta, Czech Republic, Canada, Australia

The passports of these countries give access to 183 countries around the world

 

10. Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary

These passports give access to 181 destinations.