The Henley Passport Index has ranked the Malaysian passport as the 12th strongest globally for the current year.
This annual ranking, which evaluates passports based on their strength, placed Malaysia alongside Cyprus and Liechtenstein in the 12th position out of 199 passports.
Photo via Human Resources Online
With an impressive visa-free score of 182, Malaysians enjoy unrestricted access to 182 out of 227 global travel destinations. The scoring system hinges on the number of destinations that passport holders can enter without needing a visa in advance.
It's noteworthy that Malaysia's passport has consistently climbed in the rankings, starting at 14th place with a score of 179 at the beginning of 2023.
At the top of the list, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain share the spotlight, each boasting a perfect score of 194.
The Henley Passport Index relies on data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) for its rankings. The index cross-checks each passport against all 227 travel destinations globally, even considering regions that do not issue their passports.
For more clarity, the index awards a point to a passport for each travel destination that does not require a visa or only necessitates a visa on arrival, a visitor's permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) upon entry.
These visa types do not demand pre-departure government approval. No points are given whenever a visa before departure is required.
