Asia dominates when it comes to passport power

Asia continues to dominate when it comes to global passport power. 

READ MORE: These are the world's most powerful passports for 2019

Entering into the final quarter of 2019, Japan and Singapore retain a firm hold on first place on the Henley Passport Index, each with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 190 out of a maximum 227. For most of the index's 14-year history – which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the top spot has been held by a European country or by the U.S. 

However, this shifted dramatically in 2018, with Asian countries now firmly established as world leaders when it comes to both global economic activity and global mobility.

Visa-free power

With visa-free/visa-on-arrival scores of 188, Finland, Germany, and South Korea remain in second place, while Denmark, Italy, and Luxembourg are in third place, with a score of 187. The UK and the U.S. remain in joint sixth place with access to 184 destinations visa-free – the lowest position they have held since 2010 and a significant drop from their first-place ranking in 2014. 

Afghanistan sits at the bottom of the ranking, with access to just 25 countries without a prior visa.

The biggest climber on the index over the past quarter has been the UAE, up five places to rank 15th. 

As they have done throughout the index's long history, countries offering investment migration programs continue to perform strongly. Moving up from the 16^th-place position it held last quarter, Cyprus now holds 14^th place, with Cypriot citizens able to access 173 destinations visa-free. Malta retains its strong 7^th-place position with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 183, while Antigua and Barbuda has risen to 28^th place with a score of 149 after gaining access to Russia.

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