Get to Know the World's Most Powerful Passports in 2016

By siliconindia | Wednesday, 02 March 2016, 12:01 Hrs

BENGALURU: Outpacing U.S. and UK, Germans have emerged as the most powerful passport holder in the world with highest number of visa-free access. According to the latest index revealed by the British immigration and citizenship firm Henley & Partners, Germans has the visa-free access to 177 countries out of 218 studied, as reported by The Times of India.

The European nation has held the index's top spot for three years in a row. The second position is acquired by Sweden with 176 visa-free access and Finland, France, Italy, Spain, UK collectively on third with 175 while U.S. stands on fourth and India at 85^th. The index ranked 199 countries according to the travel freedom each offers its citizens using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Observing the current positioning of the countries, an official statement of Henley & Partners stated, “There continues to be a huge disparity in the levels of travel freedom between countries, despite the world becoming more mobile and interdependent,”

The report has been released during an important time in history when the world faces the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War. And Germany, in particular, has implemented a controversial open-door policy, receiving among the largest number of asylum-seekers in the world. The index also revealed a country's relationship with others and their diplomatic position on the world stage.

As for nations with the most limited travel, Afghanistan is ranked the last in 104th place, with access to just 25 countries. Pakistan is second-last, with travel permitted to 29 countries, and Iraq is third from the bottom, restricted to 30 other countries.