After repeated tussles of who gets to sit on the throne, the seat of power in the world’s passport index is currently being shared by not one, not two, but three Asian countries: Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
The three Asian nations now hold a joint top spot on the Henley Passport Index, with each of its residents having visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 189 countries. Germany — once a long-time holder of the most powerful passport in the world — comes close in second place, with easy access to 188 countries. Five countries share the number three spot with visa-free/visa-on-arrival entrance to 187 nations: Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, and Sweden.
Henley & Partners Chairman Dr. Christian H. Kälin attributes Asia’s dominance on the index to a worldwide shift towards more open policies.
“With some notable exceptions, there is a growing acknowledgment that policies of engagement, collaboration, and openness yield the greatest results, for both individual nations and the global community as a whole. The current strength of Asian passports is emblematic of this progressive shift, and it seems certain that more and more countries will follow suit in order to benefit from global flows of talent and capital,” he commented.
In Southeast Asia, the Singapore passport is still the best performer in the region, with Malaysia and Brunei trailing close behind. Myanmar was pinpointed as having the least powerful passport in the region, holding the 91st spot globally.
The war-ravaged Middle Eastern countries of Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq remain in the bottom rung of the passport index, with residents having visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to less than 33 nations.
