Japan's passports give holders more visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to countries than any other, overtaking Singapore in world rankings, new figures show.

Japan’s passports open the most doors when tested for how many countries allow holders to enter without an advance visa, overtaking Singapore, according to a migration specialist firm.

The country went top of the rankings having won visa-free access to Myanmar earlier in October. As a result, Japan now has visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations, just one more than Singapore’s 189.

The rankings for the Henley Passport Index, produced by Henley & Partners, are based on figures issued by the International Air Transport Association, as well as by Henley’s own research. 

Japan and Singapore have been neck and neck on the index since they both climbed to first place in February - following a visa-exemption from Uzbekistan - pushing Germany down to second place for the first time since 2014. 

This quarter, Germany has fallen further to third place, which it now shares with South Korea and France. France moved up from fourth to third place last Friday when it gained visa-free access to Uzbekistan, while South Korea moved from fourth to third place on 1 October when it gained visa-free access to Myanmar. Germany, France, and South Korea all have a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 188. Iraq and Afghanistan continue to hold the bottom (106th) spot of the index, with only 30 destinations accessable to their citizens. Palestinian Territory, Sudan and Eritrea have access to 39 destinations; Yemen is at 103rd, with access to 37, followed by Pakistan at 194th with 33 destinations, and Somalia and Syria, at 105th, with 32.

Henley & Partners is a prominent advisor and advocate for the global market of “citizenship by investment” programmes, in which jurisdictions offer fast-track citizenship/residency to high net worth individuals who invest a specified sum into a country or who set up businesses creating a specified number of jobs. Countries as varied as the UK, the US, Spain, Malta and Montenegro offer these “golden visas”. The system has been controversial at times, amid concerns about corruption and abuse of standards. An organisation that aims to set best practice in the field, the  Investment Migration Council, recently slammed Hungary for its investor visa programme.

Uncle Sam
The US ranks equal fifth in the listings with visa-free access to 186 countries. As for the UK, which is still in the throes of the Brexit process, it also ranks fifth, sharing that status at the moment with Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia has dropped one spot from the last quarter and is now in 10th place, alongside Hungary and Slovenia. However, the country remains the second-highest-ranking country in the region, offering its passport holders visa-free travel to 180 destinations. With visa-free access to 165 countries, Brunei ranks 20th globally and 3rd regionally. 

China received a boost in September when Chinese nationals obtained access to two new jurisdictions (St Lucia and Myanmar), but the Chinese passport fell two places this quarter, to 71st overall. This is still an impressive 14-place improvement over the position that China held at the start of 2017.

The United Arab Emirates has surged up the index, moving from 62nd spot in 2006 to 21st place worldwide today. The UAE now holds the number one passport in the Middle East region.

The rankings come a few months after France came top of Henley & Partners’ Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index. That index measures the internal value of nationality in terms of a place to develop talent and business, and external value, measuring how nationality status opens doors for holders around the world.