Vietnamese passport jumps four places in global mobility ranking

In Southeast Asia, a Vietnamese passport (88th) is now more powerful than Cambodia (89th), Laos (93rd) and Myanmar (96th), according to the 2023 Henley Passport Index released by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners.

Singapore and Malaysia hold the most powerful passports in the region, ranked 2nd and 14th with visa exemptions for 192 and 179 countries and territories, respectively.

The Thai passport ranked 68th, with its citizens allowed to visit 78 countries without applying for a visa.

The index ranks 199 global passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index is updated in real time throughout the year, as and when visa policy changes take effect.

Japan has the most powerful passport in the world in 2023, with its citizens able to visit 193 countries and territories without applying for a visa.

South Korea shares the third position with Germany, with visa free access to 191 destinations.

The world’s least powerful passports come from poor countries mired in political conflicts like Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Vietnam opened its border and resumed pre-pandemic visa policies on March 15 after two years of border closures.