Singapore now boasts of the most powerful passport in the world, thanks to Paraguay.
By removing visa requirements for Singaporeans, Paraguay helped Singapore edge out Germany for the top spot in a passport index developed by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital.
Singapore now has a visa-free score of 159, making it the most powerful passport worldwide, according to the Passport Index.
The Index ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a "visa-free score" according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival.
Historically, the Top 10 most powerful passports in the world were mostly European, with Germany having the lead for the past two years.
Since early 2017, the number one position was shared with Singapore, which was steadily going up. Other Asian passports in the Top 20 include those of South Korea, Japan and Malaysia.
"For the first time ever an Asian country has the most powerful passport in the world," said managing director of Arton Capital's Singapore office, Philippe May.
While Singapore quietly climbed the ranks, the U.S. passport has fallen down since Trump took office. Most recently Turkey and the Central African Republic revoked their visa-free status to US passport holders.
"Visa-free global mobility has become an important factor in today's world," said Armand Arton, founder and president of Arton Capital.
