New Zealand passport ranked 8th among the "most powerful" countries in the world

The New Zealand passport has been ranked 8th among the "most powerful" in the world, with Japan beating Singapore to win the title of world champion.

New Zealand passport holders can travel visa-free in 182 countries, where Japanese citizens now enjoy visa-free or visa-free access upon arrival in 190 countries, one more than Singapore, which counts 189 countries.

The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on their traveling power using data from the International Air Transport Association.

The United States and the United Kingdom, which together held first place in 2015, have since slipped to 5th place. Germany, China and Russia also fell, according to the Daily Mail.

Australia, which has access to 183 countries, ranks seventh.

Germany, another country to have taken first place in previous years, now ranks third behind South Korea and France.

Iraq and Afghanistan continue to sit at the bottom of the index.

The United States and the United Kingdom both have access to 186 destinations with their passports, but none of them has had access to new jurisdictions since the beginning of 2018.

The United Arab Emirates has achieved the most remarkable rise in the Henley Passport Index, from 62nd place in 2006 to 21st in the world today.

Kosovo, which officially fulfilled all visa liberalization criteria with the EU in July, could, however, be overtaken by those in Kosovo, which is currently under discussion with the European Council.

Russia received a boost in September when Taiwan announced the visa waiver, but the country nevertheless fell from 46th to 47th place due to upstream movements in the rankings.

The same is true in China: Chinese nationals had access to two new jurisdictions (Saint Lucia and Myanmar), but the Chinese passport dropped two places, ranking 71st.

Christian H. Kälin, chairman of the Henley & Partners group, said the countries with investment citizenship programs were all in the top 50 of the index.

The newcomer to Moldova, which will launch its CBI program in November, has gained 20 places since 2008.

"The freedom to travel that accompanies a second passport is important, while the economic and societal value that IWC programs generate for host countries can be transformative," said Dr. Kälin.

Henley Passport Index Power Rating:

1. Japan: 190
2. Singapore: 189
3. Germany, France, South Korea: 188
4. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Spain: 187
5. Norway, United Kingdom, Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, United States: 186
6. Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada: 185
7. Australia, Greece, Malta: 183
8. New Zealand, Czech Republic: 182
9. Iceland: 181
10. Hungary, Slovenia, Malaysia: 180