[REVEALED] Most Powerful Passports 2020: Who is in No.1?

Japan has secured the top position for three consecutive years, as its passport holders have access to 191 nations without having to apply prior visa, Singapore with 190 and South Korea on joint third with Germany with 189, The Star reported.

The East Asian nation, which previously tied with Singapore for the No 1 spot, pulled ahead of the Republic because it retained access to the South American country of Suriname, which Singapore did not.

The index is compiled by Henley & Partners, a London-headquartered citizenship and residence advisory firm, based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association.

Dominic Volek, head of South-east Asia and managing partner at Henley & Partners, said: “The benefits of open-door policies and mutually beneficial trade agreements can no longer be denied.”

“Based on our ongoing research, countries that embrace this new reality of global mobility are thriving, with their citizens enjoying ever-increasing passport power and travel freedom, as well as the array of benefits that come with it,” Mr Volek added as quoted by Business Times.

The latest results of the Henley Passport Index also indicate a growing divide in travel freedom, with Japanese passport holders able to access 165 more destinations around the world than Afghan nationals, Henley & Partners noted.

“This extraordinary global mobility gap is the starkest it has been since the index’s inception in 2006,” the firm added.