Maldivian Passport Retains Its Title As Number One In South Asia For A Third Consecutive Year
A passport is one’s portal to the rest of the world. The Henely Passport Index is the official ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. This ranking is based upon exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the body which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information – and enhanced by ongoing research by the Henley & Partners Research Department.
On 5th January 2021, they published an updated list of rankings. Accordingly, Maldives ties with Botswana at the 62nd rank which allows passport holders from the nation to travel to a total of 85 countries without a prior visa. In the 2020 listing, Maldives was ranked 61st.
Although, this effectively ranks the Maldivian Passport as the strongest in the South Asian region. Neighboring India takes second by being ranked 85th globally, which is followed by Bhutan, being globally ranked at the 90th position.
For a third consecutive year, Japan remains at the top of the index offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a total of 191 destinations.
The Henely Passport Index notes that coronavirus-related travel bans will take precedence over the visa information recorded in the list, this year.