Czech Republic Ranks 7th in New Global Passport Power Index
Singapore edged past France, Germany, Italy and Spain to reclaim bragging rights as having the world’s most powerful passport. Having a Singapore passport means getting visa-free entry to a record 195 global destinations, putting the city-state at the top on the Henley Passport Index. The four European countries, which held the No. 1 spot earlier in the year, are now in second place along with Japan. The Henley Passport Index, compiled by London-based Henley & Partners, evaluates 227 countries and territories using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The index ranks passports by the number of destinations their holders can visit without a visa. South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands are in third place, with visa-free access to 191 destinations. The United Kingdom, which was the top-ranked passport along with the United States until 2014, now shares fourth place with New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. Australia and Portugal hold fifth place. The United States dropped to eighth place, just behind the Czech Republic. The number 195 is a record for Singapore and the entire index. On the other end, Afghanistan remains the lowest-ranked, with its citizens having visa-free access to only 26...
