Singapore Passport Most Powerful in the World
In what could be called a shot in the arm for the Singapore Immigration, and yet another reason to migrate to Singapore and become its citizen, the country’s passport has, reportedly, been declared as the most powerful in the entire world as it secured the position right at the top in the Passport Index’ most powerful place with a visa-free total of 159.
As per the Passport Index developed by the well-known global financial advisory group Arton Capital, it’s the first time a nation from the Asian Continent has been proclaimed as possessing the most powerful passport in the world.
According to the index, the passport holders of Singapore revel in visa-free access to a staggering 173 nations. The rank has reportedly arrived post Paraguay relaxed its visa necessities for the holders of the Singaporean passport. Breathing down Singapore’s neck are Germany and Sweden, placed second and third, with a total of 158 and 157 in that order.
The Arton Capital developed Passport Index gives a position to the national passports by the cross-border access that they bring, via giving a “visa-free score,” as per the figure of the nations a passport holder may make a trip either without a visa or with visa on entrance. For the positions, the Arton Capital considered the passports of 193 member nations & 6 territories of the United Nations (UN).
As per a press release issued recently, traditionally, the leading 10 most powerful passports in the world tend to be from Europe, with Germany heading the charts for the preceding two years. Since the early 2017, the top position was duly shared with Singapore, which was progressively scaling the positions. Other Asian passports in the leading 20 reportedly comprise those of South Korea, Japan and Malaysia.
According to the index, conversely, the passport for the US has, to a certain extent, lost its appeal and dropped down the position since the incumbent President, Donald Trump, stormed to power. Lately, the Central African Republic & Turkey cancelled their visa-free standing to the passport holders of the US.
Coming back to the table topper, Singapore, it was also fourth this year in the Visa Restrictions Index–an additional standing of travel freedom–which, reportedly, employs a different way of analyzing the strength of a passport.
With a score of 159 Singapore, led the charts followed by Germany with a score of 158). Sweden and South Korea trailed Germany with a score of 157. Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Japan, and the UK–with a score of 156–followed Sweden and South Korea even while they were placed at the fourth spot. At the fifth position were Luxemburg, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Portugal with a score of 155.
