SINGAPORE - The Singapore passport has retained its place among the top five most welcomed passports by countries around the world.

This year's Visa Restrictions Index ranked Singapore alongside Austria, Ireland and Switzerland in fifth position. It shared the same spot with New Zealand and Switzerland in 2014.

Holders of the Singapore passport currently have unrestricted access to 169 of the 218 countries surveyed worldwide - down slightly from 170 out of 219 countries last year.

The United Kingdom and Germany retained top spot with visa-free access to 173 countries, while Finland, Sweden and the United States jointly took second spot with 172 countries.

Japan and Korea were ranked joint-third with 171 countries.

The biggest mover this year, according to Henly & Partners which produces the index, was the United Arab Emirates. It moved up from 55th to 40th place and added 37 countries to its score.

Check out the full index here.

For information on the countries where Singaporeans still need a visa, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website here.