The world’s new most powerful passport
Australians have it pretty good with our passports, which allow us to travel to 156 countries visa-free, but we’ve got nothing on South Korea.
According to the Passport Index, created by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital, the 2018 Winter Olympics host has bumped Germany off the top spot when it comes to passport power rankings.
Thanks to Uzbekistan’s recent decision to grant visa-free travel to South Korea and Singapore, both nations have overtaken Germany with access to 162 countries visa-free compared to the latter’s 161, tying it with Japan.
European countries continue to dominate the top 10, however, but Australia isn’t far behind at number 7 with access to 156 countries without needing a visa. New Zealand is just one point behind at 155.
And while there isn’t a huge difference in numbers, Arton Capital president Armand Arton says it’s becoming increasingly important to travellers to have as much visa-free access as possible.
“People don’t like imaginary borders that set boundaries to their opportunities in life,” he said. “Having multiple passports has become the new norm and people who haven’t invested in this privilege feel anxious and left out.”