TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — British consultancy firm Henley and Partners has listed Taiwan’s passport as the 33rd strongest in the world.
In the latest Henley Passport Index, Singapore came in first place with a score of 192, per CNA. This means that passport holders can enter 192 countries without a visa or a visa on arrival.
Japan and South Korea are tied in second with access to 188 destinations. Third place is shared by Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, which offer visa-free entry to 186 countries and territories.
The fourth-ranked countries are all European, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway, with a score of 185. Fifth place, with 184 destinations, is tied among Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The report noted the UAE has had the strongest long-term rise in the 20-year history of the passport index, with 149 new visa-free destinations added since 2006, and its ranking rising by 57 places. It attributed this to the UAE's “sustained diplomatic engagement, strategic visa policy, and the expansion of bilateral and multilateral partnerships.”
The US has returned to 10th place, offering visa-free access to 179 destinations. The US had previously fallen out of the 10 ten for the first time at the end of 2025.
Taiwan's ranking moved up three places from December, with visa-free access to 139 countries and territories. Taiwan is just behind Macau and one spot ahead of Serbia.
In East Asia and Southeast Asia, Taiwan retained its rank as the eighth most powerful passport, behind Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brunei, and Macau.
Taiwan ranked 55th when the list was first announced in 2006, with its lowest ranking being 69th in 2010 and highest 24th in 2014. Since 2015, its ranking has consistently been in the 30s.
Henley and Partners ranks 199 passports in terms of the number of countries their holders can enter without prior visa approval among 227 travel destinations, based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association.
