The Malaysian passport is an official document issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia to Malaysian citizens for the purpose of international travel. It serves as evidence of a citizen’s identity and citizenship and allows them to travel abroad. This year, Malaysia is making its way back up in a list of passports based on the number of nations and places it has visa-free entry to. Malaysia’s passport improved from 13th place in the latest Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 different passports, to 11th place in 2023. Malaysian nationals can travel to 180 of the world’s 227 countries and territories without a visa, giving their passport the 11th-best ranking among all passports. Malaysia was ranked eighth in the same worldwide passport ranking in 2014.
Singapore took the top rank in the report, which was based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), making its residents some of the most significant passengers in the world. As Singapore leads worldwide this year, its passport grants visa-free travel to 192 nations and places.
The closest Southeast Asian passport, Brunei, is ranked 20th, followed by Thailand (64), Indonesia (69), the Philippines (74), Cambodia and Vietnam (both at 82nd), Laos (87), and Myanmar (89). Compared to this, the other Southeast Asian passports are far apart.
Analyses of earlier data by Malay Mail revealed that Malaysia’s position in the global passport index has changed over time. The number of countries that Malaysian passport holders can visit visa-free is much higher now (between 177 and 180 countries and destinations from 2018 to 2023) than it was in the past (between 120 in 2006, 145 in 2008, and between 151 to 166 countries from 2010 to 2017). This is true even though its global rankings within the last six years have not reached its previous peaks of 8th spot (2014) and 9th spot (2013 and 2006). Henley & Partners, a residence and citizenship planning organisation, based its rating of the world’s passports on data obtained exclusively from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), which is then cross-checked against data from internal studies and other open-source sources.
Japan lost its top position for the first time in five years. The nation is currently in third place, joining six other countries—Assuria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden—that have visa-free travel to 189 locations.
Currently, Malaysian passport holders can travel visa-free to a number of nations, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Hurry up! Plan your holidays!
Source: MalayMail
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