World’s most powerful passports for 2019 revealed

• Japan and Singapore on top of the list
• UK & USA slides further down from its position on world’s most powerful passports for 2019

The Henley Passport Index “is the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.” The ranking has revealed the countries that holds the strongest passports for 2019 – with Japan and Singapore coming out top.

Those who have Japanese and Singapore passport can visit a whopping 190 countries.

Germany has also risen up the charts, sharing the second place with South Korea, Finland, citizens of these countries can access 188 countries around the world without a prior visa.

The recent changes into the Pakistan’s formerly restrictive visa policy led Finland rub shoulders with other three countries. Pakistan now offers an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) to citizens of 50 countries, including Finland, Japan, Spain, Malta, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates but not, notably, the United States or the UK.

Five years ago, the United States and UK topped the rankings in 2014 but both countries have now slopped down to sixth place, the lowest position since 2010

While the Brexit process has yet to directly impact on the UK’s ranking, the Henley Passport Index press release observed in July, “with its exit from the EU now imminent, and coupled with ongoing confusion about the terms of its departure, the UK’s once-strong position looks increasingly uncertain.”

World’s strongest passports

1. Japan – access to 190 destinations
1. Singapore – access to 190 destinations
2. South Korea – access to 188
2. Germany- access to 188
2. Finland – access to 188
3. Denmark – access to 187
3. Luxembourg – access to 187
3. Italy – access to 187
4. France – access to 186
4. Sweden – access to 186
4. Spain – access to 186
5. Austria – access to 185
5. Netherlands – access to 185
5. Portugal – access to 185
6. Norway – access to 184
6. Switzerland – access to 184
6. United Kingdom – access to 184
6. Belgium – access to 184
6. Canada – access to 18
6. Greece – access to 184
6. United States of America – access to 184
7. Czech Republic – access to 183
7. Malta – access to 183
8. New Zealand – access to 182
9. Australia – access to 181
9. Lithuania – access to 181
9. Slovakia – access to 181
10. Hungary – access to 180
10. Latvia – access to 180
10. Slovenia – access to 180
10. Iceland – access to 180