Vietnam ranks 89th on most powerful passport list during COVID-19

Vietnam has fallen one place to 89th on a list compiled by the Haley Passport Index 2019 which details the world’s most powerful passports.

Photo: Periódico Viaje

The latest rankings take into account the complicated situation relating to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) which is still rapidly spreading in many places worldwide.

In the previous version of the list, the country was ranked 88th out of 107 foreign countries with a total of 54 points.

Japan remained in first position with a total of 191 points, while Singapore was in second with 190 points.

Moving down the list, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Germany came in joint third place with 189 points.

Previously, the EU had released a list of 14 countries whose residents would be granted permission to enter the bloc from July 1, months after it had dramatically moved to shut its external borders in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Despite this, Vietnam failed to meet the EU’s safety criteria. Countries whose residents can enter the EU include Australia, Canada, Georgia, Algeria, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, the RoK, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay.

With the US maintaining its position in fifth place, US citizens have around the same level of travel freedom as those of Mexico, ranked 25th on the Henley Passport Index with a score of 159, and Uruguay, in 28th place with a score of 153.

Fourth place jointly went to Italy, Finland, Spain, and Luxembourg, followed by Denmark and Austria with 187 points. Furthermore, Sweden, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Portugal finished with 186 points, whilst the US, the UK, Belgium, Norway, and Switzerland recorded 185 points. In addition, the Czech Republic, Greece, Malta, and New Zealand had 184 points, Canada and Australia with 183, and Hungary with 182.

In contrast, several countries globally have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to fewer than 40 countries. These includes the worst passports to hold, such as that of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Libya, Nepal, Palestinian Territory, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

VOV