NUKU’ALOFA, (KANIVA TONGA NEWS) – The Tongan passport has moved up six places in a global ranking reaching the strongest position it ever has since the Henley Passport Index 13 years history.
The ranking has been released after the Index compared each nation for its ease of travelling around the world.
The Tongan passport is tied with the Marshal Islands’ passport in 41st spot on the list.
The Tongan passport can gain visa-free access to 124 countries.
However, there were four Pacific island countries with stronger passports than Tonga.
Topping the Pacific islands spots on the 2018 list was Solomon Islands whose residents have access to 130 countries without needing a visa, followed by Samoa and Vanuatu in second position with 129 and Tuvalu in third position with 127 countries.
New Zealand has slipped down two places from being 5th with 172 countries in 2017 while Australia jumped one place up from being at the 7th spot to 6th with 183 countries this year.
Japan and Singapore share first place, with easy access to 189 destinations.
This is the first year in the index’s 13-year history that either Japan or Singapore has had the most powerful passport in the world.
