SINGAPORE: Singapore has the world's “most powerful” passport as per a global ranking topped for the first time by an Asian country. Drawn by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital, the 'Global Passport Power Rank 2017' has Germany ranked second, and Sweden and South Korea sharing third place. Traditionally, the top most powerful passports in the world were mostly European, with Germany leading for the past two years.
Philippe May, managing director of Arton Capital's Singapore office, said, “For the first time ever and Asian country has the most powerful passport in the world. It is a testament of Singapore's inclusive diplomatic relations and effective foreign policy.” Paraguay removed visa requirements for Singaporeans, pushing their passport to the top. India has improved its ranking at 75, with a visa-free score of 51.
Founder and president of Arton Capital Armand Arton said, “Visa-free global mobility has become an important factor in today's world. More and more people every year invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a second passport to offer better opportunity and security for their families.” While Singapore made its way to the top, the US passport has seen a steady fall ever since Donald Trump took office. Most recently, Turkey and the Central Aftican Republic revoked their visa-free status to US passport holders.
The list saw Afghanistan last, with a rank 94 and score of 22, followed by Pakistan and Iraq at 93 and score 26. The Passport Index ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a “visa-free score” according to number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival.
