Unlocked: Asia Holds the Keys to the World’s Borders
Holders of passports in Asia have the greatest visa-free access, according to an index by Henley & Partners.
Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport with visa-free access to 193 out of 227 destinations globally, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.
The broader Asia Pacific region was a leader overall in the index, with Japan and South Korea tied in second place with 190 visa-free destinations. Other passports from the region in the top 20 include New Zealand (5th place, 187 destinations), Australia (7th place, 185 destinations), Malaysia (11th place, 181 destinations), and Hong Kong (17th place, 179 destinations).
By ranking change, India recorded the largest jump in the past six months, from 85th to 77th, with 59 destinations.
China Opens Up to the Middle East
In terms of destinations with increasing access, China was a noteworthy country, according to the Henley Openness Index. Since January, it has granted visa-free access to more than a dozen new passports, bringing the total to 75 nations. The latest additions include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, covering all citizens from the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
«The consolidation we’re seeing at the top underscores that access is earned – and must be maintained – through active and strategic diplomacy. Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements continue to rise, while the opposite applies to those that are less engaged in such efforts,» commented Christian H. Kaelin, inventor of the passport index concept.
