Japan now has the world's strongest passport, while Singapore slides down to second place, according to a latest report by the Henley Passport Index on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Both Japan and Singapore were tied in first place on the index previously.

Germany now takes the third spot, alongside South Korea and France.

Myanmar grants visa-free access to Japan passport

The rise in ranking for the Japanese passport is due to Myanmar granting Japanese citizens visa-free access for up to 30 days starting from Oct. 1.

This means that Japanese passport holders can now enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations, while the number remains at 189 for Singapore passport holders.

Singapore passport holders can also visit Myanmar visa-free for up to 30 days.

Singapore vs. Japan passports

If you are interested to know, here's how Singapore's passport (left) compares to Japan (right) now, according to the Henley Passport Index.

Here are some differences in the level of access for certain countries between the Japan and Singapore passports:

• While India grants Japan passport holders visa-on-arrival access, Singapore passport holders are required to apply for e-Visas beforehand
• Japanese citizens can also visit São Tomé and Príncipe (visa-free) and Ethiopia (visa-on-arrival) easily, while Singaporeans have to apply for visas and e-Visas respectively

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The methodology

The Henley Passport Index uses a simple scoring system to determine the rankings.

For each travel destination, if no visa is required for passport holders from a country or territory, a score of 1 is then created for that passport.

A score of 1 is also applied if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.

Where a visa is required, or where a passport holder has to obtain a government-approved electronic visa (e-Visa) before departure, a score of 0 is assigned.

A score of 0 is also assigned if passport holders need pre-departure government approval for a visa on arrival.

The total score is taken to be the sum of all the territories with a score of 1.

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