Taiwan passport rises to world’s 31st strongest

台灣護照排名躍升至全球第31位，實力增強

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — British consultancy firm Henley and Partners has listed Taiwan’s passport as the 31st strongest in the world.

In the latest Henley Passport Index, Singapore came in first place with a score of 192, per Liberty Times. This means that passport holders can enter 192 countries without a visa or a visa on arrival.

Japan, South Korea, and the UAE are tied in second with access to 187 destinations. Sweden came in third, offering visa-free entry to 186 countries and territories.

The fourth-ranked countries are all European, including: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland, with a score of 185. Fifth place, with 184 destinations, is tied among Austria, Greece, Malta, and Portugal.

Taiwan's ranking moved up one spot from February, with visa-free access to 134 countries and territories. Taiwan is just behind Serbia and one spot ahead of its diplomatic ally, Guatemala.

In East Asia and Southeast Asia, Taiwan retained its rank as the eighth most powerful passport, behind Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brunei, and Macau.

Taiwan ranked 55th when the list was first announced in 2006, with its lowest ranking being 69th in 2010 and highest 24th in 2014. Since 2015, its ranking has consistently been in the 30s.

Henley and Partners ranks 199 passports in terms of the number of countries their holders can enter without prior visa approval among 227 travel destinations, based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association.