The annual Henley Passport Index, compiled by Henley & Partners, is out, ranking countries by the number of other countries their nationals can access without having to obtain a visa, and while ranks have shifted a bit at the top, most of the top list are the ‘usual suspects.’
Singapore is at the top of the list, with access to 195 of the 227 destinations that require a visa from at least some travelers, followed by France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain at 192; Austria , Finland and Ireland at 191 and the UK at 190. The U.S., at 186 dropped from 7th place to 8th. At the bottom of the list is Afghanistan, with 26.
Since, for most people, there’s no choice of which passport to carry, the rankings can make little difference beyond bragging rights. But, there is a small group of people with either a possible claim to another passport or who have the money to invest in the ‘citizenship by investment’ schemes run by a number of countries. And… guess what company specializes in guiding them through it? In their own words…
“Henley & Partners is the global leader in residence and citizenship by investment. Each year, hundreds of wealthy individuals and their advisors rely on our expertise and experience in this area. “
