Henley & Partners, a London-based residence and citizenship planning firm, announced on the October 9, 2018, the latest "Henry Passport Index" list, which ranks passports of more than 199 countries around the world based on the number of permissible visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries. In the latest rankings, the Japanese passport ranks first with a total of 190 countries overtaking the Singaporean passport by one country!
List of Top 10 passports
| Rank | Country | Visa-free or Visa-on-arrival |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 190 |
| 2 | Singapore | 189 |
| 3 | Germany | 188 |
| 3 | France | 188 |
| 3 | Korea | 188 |
| 4 | Italy | 187 |
| 4 | Spain | 187 |
| 4 | Sweden | 187 |
| 4 | Denmark | 187 |
| 4 | Finland | 187 |
| 5 | United States of America | 186 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 186 |
| 5 | Norway | 186 |
| 5 | Austria | 186 |
| 5 | Luxembourg | 186 |
| 5 | Holland | 186 |
| 5 | Portugal | 186 |
| 6 | Belgium | 185 |
| 6 | Switzerland | 185 |
| 6 | Canada | 185 |
| 6 | Ireland | 185 |
| 7 | Australia | 183 |
| 7 | Malta | 183 |
| 7 | Greece | 183 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 182 |
| 8 | Czech Republic | 182 |
| 9 | Iceland | 181 |
| 10 | Hungary | 180 |
| 10 | Slovenia | 180 |
| 10 | Malaysia | 180 |
Japan recently added Myanmar to its list of visa-free countries allowing it to take the top spot.
The Henley Passport Index not only shows the strength of a passport but also provides insight into the bilateral relations between countries.
New designs in the Japanese passport
The strength of the Japanese passport is not only reflected in its ranking but also an amazing design change that will take place in 2019.
Passports issued from 2019 will have images of famous Ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), a representative art of Japan.
Source:Ministry of Foreign Affairs
24 different pages
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan stated that this change is not only for decorative purposes but also making counterfeiting difficult. From Hokusai to Utagawa Hiroshige, these are the woodblock prints you will find on the passport.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In fact, if you have been to Japan or plan to visit Japan, then you will see one of the famous Ukiyo-e images with snow-capped Mt. Fuji on your immigration stamp!
On the surface, this might only seem like a "sticker" but the design reveals secrets of Japan's history. Curious to know more → The secret of the Japanese Immigration stamp on your passport!
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