If you’re a Singapore passport holder, then this news is about to make your day. Singapore dethroned Japan on the Henley Passport Index 2023 as the most powerful passport, globally. While Singapore sits at the top, Germany and two other countries share the number 2 position. Curious to know about the Indian passport? Read ahead to find out.
Singapore Tops Henley’s Passport Index 2023
Singapore has topped the list of the most powerful passports in the Henley Passport Index 2023. The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
It uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the largest and most accurate travel information database. Henley & Partners’ research team enhances this data to create the index.
The London-based immigration consultancy published a ranking that reveals Japan, after five years at the top, dropped to third place. This change occurred due to a decrease in the number of destinations that its passport can access without a visa.
Nearly a decade ago, the US, which once topped the ranking, slid two places to eighth place. After a Brexit-induced slump, the UK jumped two places to fourth, a position it last held in 2017. This is as per reports, by Bloomberg.
The Index tracks 199 different passports and 227 travel destinations, assigning the same ranking to those with equal destination counts. So, without waiting any further, here are the top 20 contenders on the list.
- Singapore
- Germany
- Italy
- Austria
- Denmark
- Belgium
- Austria
- Canada
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Estonia
- Liechtenstein
- Cyprus
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Chile
- San Marino
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Brazil
India Ranks 80th On The List, Sharing The Spot With 2 Others
It is also noteworthy to know that India ranked number 80 on the list, sharing the spot with Togo and Senegal. The lowest on the list are Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. India came up 8 spots from last year. It ranked number 87 in 2022, sharing the spot with Mauritiana and Tajikistan.
Singapore is known as one of the most expensive places and rightfully so. The destination is a hub for everything luxurious, from their airport to their schools. However, obtaining the privilege of using Singapore’s travel documents is not simple.
Last year, the nation of 5.6 million granted citizenship to approximately 23,100 individuals, and earlier this year, authorities rejected the idea of considering net worth for granting citizenship, as per Bloomberg’s reports.
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