Japan maintains its lead into 2021 as the world’s most powerful passport.
The Asian giant has held the top spot since 2018.
The Henley Passport Index released the ranking on Tuesday.
The passports were rated according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
Japan passport holders are able to access 191 destinations around the world visa-free.
Singapore, joint number one in 2019, currently has the second most desirable passport on earth with access to 190 destinations.
South Korea and Germany have a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 189.
The classification based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) affirmed Asia Pacific (APAC) countries’ dominance.
Experts say the APAC region’s strength will continue as it includes nations with quick recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
Before now, in the index’s 16-year history, European Union countries, the United Kingdom, or the United States, held the top spots.
Over the past seven years, the U.S. passport has dropped from the uppermost to 7th place. The U.K. is presently on the same rank.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, sits in 97th position.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, noted that the current standing ranking provides an opportunity to reflect on the upheaval that characterized 2020.
“Just a year ago, all indications were that the rates of global mobility would continue to rise; that travel freedom would increase, and that holders of powerful passports would enjoy more access than ever before.
“The global lockdown negated these glowing projections, and as restrictions begin to lift, the results from the latest index are a reminder of what passport power really means in a world upended by the pandemic”, said Kaelin, the passport index inventor
