World’s most powerful passports dominated by Asian countries; PH at 74th spot

In the latest real-time update of the Henley Passport Index, the podium is topped by a trio of Asian countries.

Image: angeloNZ/IStock.com via AFP Relaxnews

Going into 2019, Japan leads the charts, with citizens enjoying visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations around the world — the most of any other country.

Singapore and South Korea share the second spot at 189 countries, while France and Germany are tied at the third spot.

Overall, Asian countries dominate the latest updated index, signaling Asia’s growing mobility and the world’s open-door policy to countries in the region — an asset that has the potential to contribute billions to the global economy and create employment opportunities around the world, says Henley index creator Christian Kaelin.

Notable movers in the latest ranking include South Korea, which reached a new high in second spot, while the U.S. and U.K. jointly share the sixth spot — a significant fall from grace, given they jointly held the top spot in 2015.

The Philippines is at the 74th spot along with Azerbaijan and Tunisia. The Philippines has maintained visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 66 countries, the same number as last May and October 2018, when it was at the 70th spot and the 75th spot on those months respectively.

Afghanistan and Iraq still occupy the last spot and are down to the 104th place with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 30 countries.

The ranking indexes 185 countries and is based on data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA).

Here are the world’s most powerful passports according to the latest Henley Passport Index:

1. Japan – visa-free access to 190 countries
2. South Korea, Singapore – 189
3. France, Germany – 188
4. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden – 187
5. Spain, Luxembourg – 186
6. Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, U.S., U.K., – 185
7. Belgium, Canada, Greece, Ireland – 184
8. Czech Republic – 183
9. Malta – 182
10. Australia, Iceland, New Zealand – 181

NVG

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