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Singapore and Japan offer visa-free or visa-free travel to 193 countries.
Small error noticed A journey of things One country has taken the joint first place in the global passport rankings.
The Henley Passport Index uses data from the International Air Transport Association covering 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.
However, in the latest index, Japan’s change to visa-free travel is not reflected in the rankings.
The Asian powerhouse has opened its doors to many countries, including New Zealand.
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Singapore, which slipped to second place, is now tied with Japan for the top spot with visa-free or visa-free access to 193 countries.
New Zealand now has access to 187 countries, ranking 17th alongside Belgium, the Czech Republic, Norway, Switzerland and the United States. Afghanistan remains at the bottom with 27.
MONIQUE FORD / THINGS
In one of the rooms of the Internal Affairs Department, there is a special machine that takes blank passports and makes them alive.
Kiwis need visas to enter 40 destinations included in the index, including China and India, two of the world’s most populous countries.
The website of the High Commission of India in New Zealand states that “All foreigners except Nepalese and Bhutanese nationals (under limited circumstances) require a visa to enter India by air, sea or land.”
The majority of other countries in the world that require a Kiwi visa are in Africa, with 23 states requiring prior approval.
The Henley Passport Index is not the only ranking of legal documents.
The Passport Index covers 193 UN member states and six territories. It’s updated more regularly throughout the year, and currently the United Arab Emirates is tied for third with New Zealand, or 13th, depending on how you want to look at the rankings.
The most powerful passports of the Henley index
1. Japan and Singapore (193 countries visa-free)
3. South Korea (192)
4. Germany, Spain (191)
6. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (190)
9. Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria (189)
13. Ireland, Portugal, Great Britain, France (188)
17. Belgium, Czech Republic, New ZealandNorway, Switzerland, USA (187)
