These are the most powerful passports in the world as of October 2019

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(CNN) - It has been a two-horse race this year in search of the most powerful passport title in the world, with the two main contenders in Asia.

Now, entering the last quarter of 2019, Japan and Singapore have remained in their position as the friendliest passports to travel in the world.

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That is the opinion of the Henley Passport Index, which periodically measures the access offered by each country's travel document.

The passports of Singapore and Japan have topped the ranking thanks to their documents that offer access to 190 countries each.

South Korea rubs shoulders with Finland and Germany in second place, as citizens of all three countries can access 188 jurisdictions worldwide without a prior visa.

Finland has benefited from recent changes in Pakistan's previously highly restrictive visa policy. This country now offers an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) to citizens of 50 nations, including Finland, Japan, Spain, Malta, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, but not, in particular, to the United States or Great Britain.

Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg occupy the third place in the index, with access without visa / visa upon arrival in 187 countries, while France, Spain and Sweden are in fourth place, with a score of 186.

Five years ago, the United States and Great Britain led the rankings in 2014, but both countries have now fallen to sixth place, the lowest position recorded by both since 2010.

While the brexit process has not yet directly impacted the classification of Great Britain, the Henley Passport Index July press release noted that, “with its exit from the EU now imminent, and coupled with the continuing confusion over the terms from his departure, the once strong position of the United Kingdom seems increasingly uncertain. ”

The United Arab Emirates continues its rise in the ranking, up to five places to position 15.

"He is the strongest climber this quarter," says Lorraine Charles of the University of Cambridge Business Research Center in the October statement.

"While the United Arab Emirates cannot compete with Saudi Arabia, the regional leader, in terms of military strength and economic power, the projection of its soft power is indisputable."

At the other end of the scale, Afghanistan is once again at the bottom of the ranking, as its citizens need a previous visa for all but 25 destinations worldwide.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, president of Henley & Partners and creator of the passport index concept, says in the July statement: “With some notable exceptions, the latest classifications of the Henley passport index show that countries around the world increasingly sees the opening of visas as crucial for economic and social progress. ”

The best passports in 2019 are:

1. Japan, Singapore (190 destinations)

2. Finland, Germany, South Korea (188)

3. Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg (187)

4. France, Spain, Sweden (186)

5. Austria, Netherlands, Portugal (185)

6. Belgium, Canada, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Great Britain, United States, Switzerland (184)

7. Malta, Czech Republic (183)

8 New Zealand (182)

9. Australia, Lithuania, Slovakia (181)

10. Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Slovenia (180)

The worst passports

Several countries around the world have access without visa to less than 40 countries. These include:

100. Lebanon, North Korea (39 destinations)

101. Nepal (38)

102. Libya, Palestinian Territories, Sudan (37)

103. Yemen (33)

104. Somalia, Pakistan (31)

105. Syria (29)

106. Iraq (27)

107. Afghanistan (25)

Other indexes

The Henley & Partner list is one of several indexes created by financial companies to classify global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.

The Henley passport index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real time throughout the year, as changes in visa policy take effect.

The Arton Capital passport index takes into consideration the passports of 193 member countries of the United Nations and six territories: Taiwan, Macao (China), Hong Kong (China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territories and the Vatican. Territories annexed to other countries are excluded.

Its 2019 index places the United Arab Emirates at the top with a “visa-free score” of 177, followed by Germany, Finland, Luxembourg and Spain with 170.

Passports