The United States passport has been placed in the sixth position in the Henley Passport Index regarding the first quarter of this year since its passport permits its holder to travel to a total of 186 countries worldwide visa-free.
The index ranks the passports of worldwide countries, taking into account travel freedom in them, VisaGuide.World reports.
In this regard, the report published by Henley and Partners has revealed that the US passport has regained some of the previous strength after falling all the way to eighth place in 2020, the lowest spot held by this country in the index’s 17-year history.
CEO of Henley and Partners, Juerg Steffen, has stressed that the opening up of migration channels is very important for post-pandemic recovery.
“Many investment migration programs include the option to invest in real estate in return for residence or citizenship. Investors acquire a sizable asset with the potential to increase in value as well as the ability to live in a new country and move around more freely — something that can be extremely valuable in times of turbulence,” he pointed out in this regard.According to him, countries with established programs have taken advantage of alternative revenue streams during the current crisis provoked by the Coronavirus, adding that governments that adjust their policies in order to permit international investors to settle with ease will win the competitive race for both revenue and talent in 2022. The Henley Passport Index has ranked in the first position the passports of Japan and Singapore, which gives their holders visa-free access to a total of 192 destinations. The same shows that in the second place have been placed Germany and South Korea, while passports of states permit their holders to travel without a visa to a total of 190 destinations. The third place is shared by the following countries, passports of which have a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 189:
- Finland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Spain
- Austria
- Denmark
- France
- Netherlands
- Sweden