By Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure
After having gained visa-free access to Myanmar this month, Japanese citizens cemented their place as holders of the world’s most powerful passport. A Japanese passport can now get you into 190 destinations either visa-free or with a visa on arrival, according to the results of the Henley Passport Index.
Citizens of Singapore maintained their position as holders of the second strongest passport, with access to 189 countries.
However, Germany fell in the rankings to a number three spot, which it now shares with South Korea and France. All three countries can visit 188 countries without a visa.
Both the U.S. and U.K. fell in the global rankings to fifth place, with visa-free access to 186 countries.
On the other end of the list, Iraq and Afghanistan’s passports are the weakest in the world, with visa-free access to only 30 countries. (To be clear: this does not mean citizens of these two countries can only visit 30 other countries. They must seek approval and gain a visa ahead of time in order to enter others.)
Bear in mind that these rankings are fluid and are likely to change based on diplomatic relations. Those on the world stage should pay attention to the United Arab Emirates. Since being ranked in 62nd place in 2006, the country has made the fastest leaps on the list, rising to the 21st spot in 2018.
The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 different passports, based on their access to 227 destinations. There are other passport rankings, including Passport Index, which counts only countries that can be entered visa-free and still ranks Singapore and Germany as No. 1.
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