Singapore overtook Japan to become the country with the world’s most powerful passport meaning its citizens will be able to enter as many as 192 global destinations visa-free, the latest Henley Passport Index showed.
Japan, which was at the top for five years, dropped to the third position as the number of destinations its passport can access without a visa fell, according to the ranking published by the London-based immigration consultancy Henly & Partners.
The US which topped the ranking nearly a decade ago, slid two places to eighth position on the index. On the other hand, following a Brexit-induced slump, the UK jumped two places to stand on fourth.
Singapore is a magnet for wealth and has seen a recent influx driven mostly by a crackdown on private enterprise in China and fears over geopolitical tensions. Having a population of 5.6 million, Singapore granted citizenship to about 23,100 people last year, and authorities earlier this year ruled that doing so was based on the net worth of individuals.
It may be noted that Henley’s ranking tracks data from the International Air Transport Association. The methodology is different from other passport indexes like the one published by Arton Capital, a financial advisory, which put the United Arab Emirates on top last year.
