KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has placed 12th among the world’s top passports with visa-free access to the most countries, according to the Henley Passport Index.
In a statement on its 2024 Global Mobility Report released yesterday, the index said the Malaysian passport secured its ranking with visa-free entry to 182 destinations.
Malaysia was strongest at eighth place a decade ago, in 2014. Its weakest position was 14th, which it marked three times in 2012, 2020 and last year.
The index compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations and draws from data from the International Air Transport Association.
A score is given to a country’s passport if no visa is required, with the same applying if the passport only requires a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit or an electronic travel authority upon entering the destination.
Singapore’s passport is top of the index and has also set a new record with visa-free access to 195 travel destinations.
France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain share the second spot, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations.
Among major countries, the United States “continues its now decade-long slide down the index”, Henley’s said, placing eighth with access to 186 destinations visa-free. In 2014, the US and United Kingdom held first place jointly.
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