The usefulness of a U.S. passport has fallen slightly since Trump took office
Trump and Central African Republic revoked visa-free entry for holders
NEW YORK, U.S. - With the usefulness and power of U.S. passports falling slightly since President Donald Trump took office, inhabitants of Singapore now hold the most powerful passports in the world.
A new ranking of world passports revealed by website Passport Index found that citizens of Singapore can travel to the highest number of countries visa-free.
Singapore managed to reach the top spot after Paraguay removed restrictions which had been in place for Singaporeans.
The website’s index revealed that the 3.4 million Singapore passport holders can now travel to 159 countries without a visa – or by obtaining a visa on arrival.
Meanwhile, Germany was placed second on the list and citizens will be able to visit 158 countries without obtaining a visa first.
Sweden and South Korea were tied in the third place on the index.
The U.K., Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, Spain, Norway, and Japan were all tied in the fourth place.
America meanwhile dropped to the 6th position along with Canada, Ireland and Malaysia.
Recently, Turkey and the Central African Republic became the most recent countries to revoke visa-free entry for U.S. visa holders.
The website said that Passport Index ranks passports in real time and based on data received from the cross-border access a holder possesses.
Philippe May, Managing Director of Canada-based global consultancy firm Arton Capita which developed the Passport Index, said, “For the first time ever, an Asian country has the most powerful passport in the world. It is a testament of Singapore's inclusive diplomatic relations and effective foreign policy.”
According to the index, Afghanistan continues to hold the least powerful passport, with just 22 countries allowing visa-free access to its residents.
Afghanistan is followed by Iraq and Syria.
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