While the fear of terrorism has led to more restrictive borders in many Western countries, some Asian countries have embraced a more relaxed philosophy on foreign travel. In fact, for the first time ever, an Asian country has the most "powerful" passport in the world. According to Arton Capital’s Passport Index, the 3.4 million people who hold a Singaporean passport can easily visit 159 countries, either visa-free or by simply securing a visa on arrival.
Passport, please:
- South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia rounded out the other Asian countries in the top 20 of the Passport Index. The Passport Index ranks access from passports issued by 193 United Nations member countries and six territories.
- Passports issued by Western European countries -- such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland -- used to offer the most mobility, but nationalist sentiments have gradually changed that.
- Germany ranks second in the index with a score of 158 countries, followed by Sweden and South Korea at 157. Afghanistan is the least powerful -- only 22 countries grant visa-free entry for Afghan citizens.