Jessie LeeSingaporeans, get ready to flex your passports. Singapore has gotten ahead of Japan by possessing the world’s strongest passport in the third quarter of 2023.
According to the Henley Passport Index published on 18 Jul 2023, Singaporeans have visa-free access to 192 out of 227 destinations worldwide. Following in second place are Italy, Germany, and Spain, with 190 destinations.
On the other hand, Japan has fallen to third place, with 189 destinations. It shares the rank with six other countries: Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden. The last time Singapore was in the lead was in 2021, with visa-free travel to 194 destinations.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on 21 Jul 2023.
Also read: How to Have 10 Long Weekends in Singapore in 2024 (Bonus Calendar & Cheatsheet!)
What defines a powerful passport?
Image credit: Peilin75 via Canva Pro
The Henley Passport Index was created by Henley & Partners to evaluate the strength of each passport, based on how many destinations its holders can visit without applying for a visa.
This report is generated quarterly, ranking a total of 199 countries. A passport gets one point for each country that its holders can visit visa-free. The total points of each passport determines its place in the passport index ranking.
Based on the report, Singapore has had a tremendous improvement of 25 points and has risen over five places in the past decade. In comparison, the United States of America, which is currently ranked eighth with a score of 184, has only gone up by 12 points within the same time period.
What does this mean for Singaporean travellers?
Having the strongest passport for 2023 equates to having the most freedom when it comes to travelling. So, Singaporeans can pick and choose places to go without worrying about visa applications.
When a destination country requires a visa, that would mean travellers have more documents to fill up and more costs to bear. This makes going overseas a little more troublesome.
Also read: Singapore Passport to Be Valid for 10 Years Instead Of 5
Update as of 24 Jul 2023: Starting on 26 Jul 2023, China will reinstate its visa-free access to Singaporeans for up to 15 days. Aside from that, Singaporeans will still need a visa to enter the other 34 destinations, such as the Republic of Congo and Yemen. But there are still so many visa-free travel options for Singaporeans. So, grab your passports and travel away!
Featured image credit: Tang90246 via Canva Pro
