The world’s most powerful passport is no longer European
Asia’s most powerful passport has elbowed past Europe’s supreme citizenship.
Singapore’s is now the world’s most powerful passport, according to Passport Index, a ranking compiled by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital. Singapore was previously tied with Germany for the number-one spot.
In the past few days, Paraguay removed its visa requirements for Singaporeans, giving citizens easy access to 159 countries, compared to 158 for German passport-holders. A Singaporean passport holder can now show up in Paraguay, get a stamp upon arrival, and stay legally in the country for 30 days without any application process, according to the Paraguay consulate in Washington, D.C.
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The Passport Index updates in real time to reflect the countries a passport-holder can access with no application, meaning that she needs no visa, or she can obtain a travel visa upon arrival.Here are the world’s most powerful passports at time of writing, according to Passport Index:
| rank | passport | no. countries accessible |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 159 |
| 2 | Germany | 158 |
| 3 | Sweden, South Korea | 157 |
| 4 | Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Japan, United Kingdom | 156 |
| 5 | Luxembourg, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal | 155 |
| 6 | Malaysia, Ireland, United States, Canada | 154 |
| 7 | Greece, New Zealand, Australia | 153 |
| 8 | Malta, Czechia, Iceland | 152 |
| 9 | Hungary | 150 |
| 10 | Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia | 149 |
Passports considered for the index are those from the 193 United Nations member countries, as well as Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong, Kosovo, Palestine, and the Vatican.
A similar index, published annually, by citizenship planning company Henley & Partners, ranks Singapore number four, with Germany the champion passport.