What is the Henley Passport Index?
The Henley Passport Index ranks all the passports in the world, ordered from weakest to strongest. It considers how many countries the holder of each passport can travel to without a visa. This ranking of the weakest and the strongest passports in the world is important for people who want to travel as much as possible.
How does the Henley Passport Index work?
The index ranks passports based on the number of countries that grant visa-free and/or visa-on-arrival access to holders of that passport. The higher the number of countries, the stronger the passport and vice versa. The data for the index of passport ranking is collected from public sources such as government websites and is updated regularly.
What are the 10 strongest passports in the world?
1. Japan – visa-free access to 193 countries
2. Singapore – visa-free access to 192 countries
3. South Korea – visa-free access to 192 countries
4. Germany – visa-free access to 190 countries
5. Spain – visa-free access to 190 countries
6. Finland – visa-free access to 189 countries
7. Italy – visa-free access to 189 countries
8. Luxembourg – visa-free access to 189 countries
9. Austria – visa-free access to 188 countries
10. Denmark – visa-free access to 188 countries
What is the number 1 country with the most powerful passport in the world?
Japanese passports have been determined to be the strongest in the world with an outstanding 193 potential visa-free destinations across the globe. This is according to a survey conducted by Henley & Partners, a migration and citizenship consultancy that publishes a list of the world’s most powerful passports four times per year – and those that allow holders to travel freely and visa-free emerge on top.
Is residency possible in Japan?
As per the standard rule, the applicant of the Permanent Resident Visa must have lived in Japan for at least 10 years for eligibility purposes. However, the rules have been relaxed a bit and now, applicants of the Permanent Resident Visa need to score at least 70 points in the Japanese Point Calculation Table based on their 3 years of residence in Japan to qualify for the visa application. In other cases, the applicant must score a minimum of 80 points in the aforementioned Table during the last year of residency in the country leading up to the application.
This applies to applicants who:
(a) Are married to a Japanese national
(b) Have secured a work visa in one of the Highly Skilled Professional sub-categories. This typically includes business managers, engineers, professors, researchers, humanities and international services experts etc.
(c) Hold a Long-Term Resident visa.
However, in order to apply for Permanent Residency in Japan, it is required for the applicant to fulfill a number of other criteria, including:
- Holding a permanent job that fulfills the point criteria at the time of application.
- Having worked in Japan for at least three years.
- The applicant must have at least a 3-year visa at the time of the application, etc.
- Paying taxes and social security contributions regularly all through the required period. Taxes and contributions are based on the salary declared by the applicant on the point chart.
- The applicant needs someone to guarantee their application. A Japanese national or a non-Japanese national with a Permanent Residency in Japan should be the guarantor, and he/she must submit some personal documents to verify his/her identity and income.
- Applicants usually need to have spent more than six months physically in Japan during the years leading up to their application.
- The candidate must have followed the law and complied with immigration-related processes.
For information about acquiring citizenship in different countries worldwide, please feel free to connect with one of the experts at Passport Legacy today.
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