Singapore and Germany have the most powerful passports
For the first time, Singapore is tied with Germany as the country with the most powerful passport in an international ranking.
Both countries share top spot in Global Passport Power Rank 2017, published by Arton Capital's Passport Index.
Holders of a Singapore passport can now get a visa on arrival in Ukraine for up to 15 days, raising the Republic's score by one to 159, Arton Capital said in a press statement on Tuesday.
Singapore was ranked second before this change.
But Germany still has the edge for visa-free travel, it said.
Germans can travel to 125 countries without a visa, while holders of a Singapore passport can travel to 122 countries without a visa.
However, Singapore beats Germany with a visa-on-arrival score of 37 to 34.
The result - a tie.
"Singaporeans can rejoice that their passport offers them first-class global mobility," said Arton Capital.
The Passport Index compares the passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories.
Singapore was fourth this year in the Visa Restrictions Index, another ranking of travel freedom, which uses a different method of calculating how "powerful" a passport is.
Germany also tops this table, published by Henley & Partners. It has visa-free access to 176 countries out of a possible 218, according to this index. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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