Singapore shares top spot with Japan for most powerful passport

Singapore's passport continues to retain its top spot in an index ranking passport power and global mobility released on Tuesday.

In the 2019 third-quarter update, Singapore and Japan share No. 1 spot on the Henley Passport Index, with their passport holders able to enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 189 destinations.

In the previous update of the index, Singapore, Japan and South Korea shared the honours.

South Korea slipped to second place this round to join Finland and Germany, whose citizens are able to access 187 destinations around the world without a prior visa.

In third place, Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg have a score of 186 on the index, while France, Spain and Sweden are joint fourth with 185.

The United Kingdom and the United States share sixth place with a score of 183, the lowest position either country has held since 2010, said global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, which compiles data for the index.

The statement noted that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) entered the index's top 20 for the first time in the ranking's 14-year history, with a score of 165.

It added that over the past five years, the UAE has more than doubled the number of destinations its citizens are able to travel to without a prior visa.

Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the index, with only 25 destinations available to its citizens without a prior visa.

The Henley Passport Index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the world's largest database of travel information.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 05, 2019, with the headline Singapore shares top spot with Japan for most powerful passport. Subscribe