TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s passport continues to be strong, nearing the top 20 percent of the Global Passport Index, indicating continued free movement and visa-free access to many countries.
According to a report released on Tuesday (January 10) by Henley and Partners, a leading global institution for residence and investment citizenship, the ranking of the Taiwanese passport dropped by one place from 34th last year to 35th this year.
UDN also reported on the passport rankings, noting that Japan topped the Henley Passport Index for the fifth year running, with visa-free access to 193 countries, according to official IATA figures. While other passport indices exist, Henley’s remains the original ranking of world passports and is the most respected.
As for which countries are at the bottom, this honor belongs to Afghanistan, which continues to rank at the bottom, with only 27 visa-free countries.
Henry’s ranking shows that Asian countries continue to lead the passport index despite Persian Gulf states continuing to increase in passport strength. For example, the UAE has risen significantly by 49 places in the past 10 years.
While other Persian Gulf countries such as Kuwait and Qatar are also expected to sign visa-free agreements with the EU later this year, their rankings are expected to rise further.
In a press release statement issued alongside the new passport rankings, Henley and Partners noted that “global travel is now about 75% of pre-pandemic levels” and that the recent rise is related to what some are calling “retaliatory travel.” .
The term “revenge travel” loosely refers to people trying to make up for time lost due to the new crown epidemic, or rescheduling vacation plans canceled due to the epidemic, or simply reuniting with loved ones with greater vigor.
Henley and Partners added that the strength of a passport could provide individuals with better economic mobility and access to more markets, which could be an attractive tool for investors. Instead, weak passports are exacerbating widening economic inequality and the gap between rich and poor.
Looking at it another way, citizens of Taiwan should value the relative strength of the passport as a gateway to financial opportunity and financial freedom, opening the door to many entrepreneurial opportunities.
