You might be surprised at Singapore’s passport strength based on this new report
When was the last time you had to apply for a visa ahead of time? For most of us, the need for a travel visa usually doesn’t even cross our minds. We take this freedom and convenience for granted–thanks in part to Singapore’s relative passport “strength”. Travelling with that bright red passport with 2 lions usually helps us bypass this troublesome process, and we can’t help but feel pretty special. So how just how well does our passport rank globally? According to the 2017 Passport Index, Singapore places 2nd in the world in terms of passport strength.
How does it work?
Coming in 2nd place means having access to 156 countries visa-free. The strength of a passport is generally determined by the number of countries one is able to travel to without having to apply for visa and the availability of on-site visa. When countries are on par, the determinant would be the UN Development Programme Human Development Index. (How useful.)
Where do we place?
The champion is Germany with access to 157 countries visa-free. Singapore gained access to one more country this year. For an obvious benchmark, USA and UK placed 3rd, with 1 less visa-free country. Our neighbour, Malaysia placed 5th on the list, levelling with countries like Canada, New Zealand and Ireland. Notably, South Korea who placed above Singapore previously, fell 4 rankings down to 6th place, alongside Greece and Australia. The worst passports to have are mostly your destabilised countries like Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan with a visa-free score of 23-28.
A quick look at Arton’s Passport Comparison Chart between Singapore and USA would show the prominent difference in the Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar and Cambodia. Some countries that you might not know are visa-free for Singaporeans includes Cuba, North Korea and Iran (on arrivial).
The study previously conducted by Henley and Partners reflected that the direct relation between one’s passport strength and their country’s international reputation and relations. The anomaly however, lies in China, where despite its increasing network and international establishments, their travel freedom remains stagnated as one of the lowest in the world. China currently placed 66th in the index.
A Rising Business—Residency and Citizenship Investment
The study was conducted by Arton Capital, a financial advisory firm specialising in investor programmes for residency and citizenship. To us, citizenship and residency is part and parcel of life. How much of a thriving business can it be? Isn’t it part of governmental management.
Well, you’ll be surprised to know that according to Arton Capital, citizenship by investment has grown to become a USS$2B industry with over 20,000 investors looking for second residency or citizenship around the world annually.
John Hanafin, CEO of Arton Capital reflected that the ease of accessibility and communication has empowered us to move fluidly across the globe to seek for new opportunities and security.
So, if you’re part of the 42% of Singaporeans who want to migrate, hold on to your passports first. Having to apply for visa can be a real pain, and you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone!