The tiny island country Singapore has claimed the top spot for the world’s most powerful passports.
According to the latest rankings from Henley & Partners – based on the number of countries holders can visit that don’t require a visa – the Singaporean passport allows visa-free access to 193 out of 225 listed destinations.
After Singapore, fellow Asian countries Japan and South Korea share second place, with 190 countries.
After that, European countries dominate the top 10, with Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and Spain all allowing 189 visa-free travel.
The UK, however, ranks significantly lower, sixth overall but the 22nd country on the list, with its passport opening the doors to 186 countries visa-free. The US fared even worse, landing in ninth place with visa-free access to 183 countries.
Singapore has a total land area of around 283 square miles, while London covers approximately 610 square miles, making the British capital city twice its size.
Singapore passport holders require a visa to access only 32 countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Chad, India, Iraq, Libya, North Korea and Russia.
The island country and city-state lies in Southeast Asia and its territory comprises just one main island, 63 satellite islands islets and one outlying islet.
In 1867, Singapore came under the direct control of Britain as part of the Straits Settlement. During World War 2, Japan occupied Singapore in 1942 but returned to British control as a Crown colony in 1945.
Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 and became an independent sovereign country in 1965.
A highly developed country, it has one of the highest purchasing power parity (PPP) adjusted GDP per capita and is also known as a tax haven.
It is a major aviation, financial and maritime shipping hub and has consistently been ranked as one of the most expensive cities to live in for expats and foreign workers.
Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest life expectancies, fastest Internet connection speeds, lowest infant mortality rates, and lowest levels of corruption in the world.
With historical data spanning 19 years, the Henley Passport Index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. Updated monthly, it is considered a standard reference tool when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum.
