(TAN): New Zealand has knocked off Japan for the strongest passport in the world according to the latest Global Passport Index compiled by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital. The US passport ranked 21 and India, 58. The passport index lists the power of passports in terms of real-time, visa restrictions, factoring in legislative changes, and entry requirements.
The index, which compares the access granted by the passports of 193 United Nations member countries, considered the passport of New Zealand to be the world’s ‘most powerful’, said media reports. India ranked 58th on the list, and US 21st.
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Earlier, New Zealand shared the top position with Japan. However, it has now secured a definitive top spot based on its ‘mobility score’, that is the number of countries the passport grants access to. Kiwi passport holders now get visa-free access to 129 countries. However, this is 40 countries/territories less than the number that offered restriction-free travel to New Zealanders in 2019.
According to reports, New Zealand managed to remain comparatively strong amid the pandemic and its government’s response to the crisis created a benchmark. Although its passport now has visa-free access to fewer countries than before given the Covid-19 crisis, rankings show that Kiwi passport holders have been least affected by travel restrictions as compared to other nationalities.
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Japan now holds the second position along with Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, South Korea and Australia. Most of the European countries are in the top 10 list, most retain access to the Schengen ‘free movement’ zone with few Covid-19 restrictions.
The US passport fell to 21st spot (behind 51 other countries) on Arton Capital’s list, with access to 92 countries. Even though the US passport has gained some footing since July, the freedom that US passport holders previously enjoyed has been badly affected by the impact of Covid-19 in the country.
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