2018 world’s most powerful passports revealed [ See full list]

Japan has overtaken Singapore to claim the top spot on the 2018 Henley
Passport Index, having gained visa-free access to Myanmar earlier this
month.

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."

Click to view full list of countries' passports and score.

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