Singapore: A global ranking on passport power has graded Indian passports the world's 75th "most powerful", three notches higher than last year, while Singapore topped the list in a first by an Asian country.
Germany ranked second, followed by Sweden and South Korea as joint third, according to the Global Passport Power Rank 2017 by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital.
Historically, the top 10 most powerful passports in the world were mostly European, with Germany in the lead for the past two years.
Passport Index has become the most popular interactive online tool to display, sort and rank passports. The index ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a "visa-free score" according to the number of countries a passport-holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival.
A company statement said Paraguay had removed visa requirements for Singaporeans, propelling Singapore's passport to the top of the Passport Index's most powerful ranking with a visa-free score of 159.
"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," said Philippe May, managing-director of Arton Capital's Singapore office.
While Singapore quietly climbed the ranks, the US passport has slipped since President Donald Trump took office. Most recently, Turkey and the Central African Republic revoked their visa-free status for US passport holders, the statement said.
India, listed 78th last year, improved its 2017 ranking with a visa-free score of 51.
The last on the list is Afghanistan, ranked 94 with a score of 22. Pakistan and Iraq have ranked joint 93rd with a score of 26; Syria has been placed at 92, with a score of 29, and Somalia has been ranked at 91 with a score of 34.
"Visa-free global mobility has become an important factor in today's world," the founder and president of Arton Capital, Armand Arton, said at the recently held Global Citizen Forum in Montenegro. "More and more people every year invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a second passport to offer better opportunity and security for their families." PTI
