SINGAPORE: According to the VisaGuide Passport Index 2024, which ranks passports according to “Global Travel Freedom,” the Little Red Dot has the strongest passport in the world.
The index evaluates 199 countries and territories based on factors such as visa-free access, visa on arrival, eVisas, and global mobility, giving each one a Destination Significance Score (DSS).
VisaPartners gave Singapore a passport score of 91.27. Broken down, it means that Singaporeans do not need to acquire a visa for a whopping 160 countries. In 26 countries, they need to obtain a visa on arrival; in 14 countries, they need an eVisa.
There are only 17 countries where Singaporeans need a visa, and none have an entry ban.
Coming in second is Finland, with a score of 90.88, closely followed by Spain, which got a 90.87. Denmark (90.63) and Italy (90.58) were ranked fourth and fifth on the list.
Interestingly, most of the top spots on the list were occupied by countries in Europe, with the exception of Japan, which took 8th place.
Most citizens from European countries are allowed to travel to other countries in Europe passport-free, unlike those from Singapore, Japan, and countries in most other regions, which usually may not.
In July, Singapore’s passport reclaimed the sole top spot as the world’s most powerful on the Henley Passport Index. At the beginning of the year, an unprecedented six countries shared pole position: Singapore, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Here are the 14 countries where Singaporeans need to acquire a visa before entering: Ukraine, Afghanistan, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Yemen, the Falkland Islands, Venezuela, Nauru, Algeria, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Sudan.
For comparison’s sake, here is how other countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific were ranked on the list: South Korea 27th, Australia 29th, New Zealand 31st, Malaysia 45th, Hong Kong 46th, Brunei 49th, Thailand 106th, and Indonesia 118th.
Earlier this year, the Henley Passport Index noted that Japan and Singapore have dominated the top of their rankings over the past five years. In 2023, Singapore ousted Japan to take the top spot on the index, ranking the power of different nations’ passports for almost two decades.
The Chairman of Henley & Partners, D. Christian H Kaelin noted that the general trend over the past 19 years, since Henley and Partners started the ranking, has been toward more travel freedom for citizens of different countries. /TISG
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