Japan passport holders will find it easier than ever to travel the world, as their travel documents have just moved up in the global Henley Passport Index to take the top spot.

The Henley Passport Index is a ranking of all of the passports in the world based on the number of countries their holders can travel to visa-free.

Until now Japan had been sharing joint first place with Singapore, which gained visa-free access to Uzbekistan earlier this year bringing its total to 189 countries.

However, earlier this month Japan gained visa-free access to Myanmar bringing its total to 190 - once again taking it to the top spot.

It's still a milestone for both Japan and Singapore, as 2018 is the first year in the index's 13-year history that either of them has had the most powerful passport in the world.

Japan has climbed back to taking first place solo (
Image:
Moment RF)

Both are way ahead of the UK and US which share fifth place with Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg - but it's worth noting that the top four spots are shared by 10 countries.

Experts had previously revealed that the UK ranking is unlikely to increase until there is certainty regarding Brexit.

The Singapore passport takes second place (
Image:
Wikipedia)

Professor Dr Florian Trauner, Research Professor at the Institute for European Studies at the Free University of Brussels previously explained: “The current political climate in the EU is not conducive to more liberal admission policies.

"In the wake of the Brexit vote, the UK has been trying to install a stricter immigration regime vis-à-vis both EU and non-EU citizens.

"The EU, similarly, has sought to strengthen its external border control in reaction to the ongoing 'refugee crisis'. Softening visa requirements may be perceived as being lenient on immigration.

"In addition, EU member states have significant political reservations regarding the processing of the three remaining candidates for EU visa liberalization: Kosovo, Turkey, and Russia."

Full Henley Passport Index 2018

  1. Japan (190 countries)
  2. Singapore (189 countries)
  3. Germany, France, South Korea (188 countries)
  4. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Spain (187 countries)
  5. Norway, UK, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, USA (186 countries)
  6. Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada (185 countries)
  7. Australia, Greece, Malta (183 countries)
  8. New Zealand, Czech Republic (182 countries)
  9. Iceland (181 countries)
  10. Hungary, Slovenia, Malyasia (180 countries)
  11. Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania (179 countries)
  12. Liechtenstein, Estonia (178 countries)
  13. Poland (175 countries)
  14. Monaco, Chile (174 countries)
  15. Cyprus (173 countries)
  16. Brazil (171 countries)
  17. Argentina, Hong Kong (170 countries)
  18. Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania (169 countries)
  19. Andorra, San Marino (168 countries)
  20. Brunei (165 countries)
  21. Israel, Barbados, UAE (161 countries)
  22. Mexico (158 countries)
  23. Bahamas (155 countries)
  24. Uruguay (154 countries)
  25. Seychelles (152 countries)
  26. St Kitts & Nevis (151 countries)
  27. Antigua (150 countries)
  28. Costa Rica (149 countries)
  29. Vatican City, Taiwan (148 countries)
  30. Trinidad and Tobago (147 countries)
  31. Mauritius, St Lucia (146 countries)
  32. St Vincent and the Grenadines (145 countries)
  33. Macao, Grenada (144 countries)
  34. Paraguay (143 countries)
  35. Panama (141 countries)
  36. Venezulea, Honduras (138 countries)
  37. Dominica, Guatemala, El Savador (137 countries)
  38. Peru (135 countries)
  39. Serbia, Solomon Islands (130 countries)
  40. Samoa, Vanuatu (129 countries)
  41. Nicaragua, Ukraine (128 countries)
  42. Colombia, Tuvalu (127 countries)
  43. Macedonia (125 countries)
  44. Marshall Islands, Tonga (124 countries)
  45. Kiribati, Montenegro (123 countries)
  46. Micronesia, Moldova (122 countries)
  47. Russia, Palau Islands (119 countries)
  48. Bosnia and Herzegovina (118 countries)
  49. Albania (114 countries)
  50. Georgia (112 countries)
  51. Turkey (111 countries)
  52. South Africa (102 countries)
  53. Belize (101 countries)
  54. Timor-Leste (98 countries)
  55. Ecuador, Kuwait (93 countries)
  56. Fiji (90 countries)
  57. Guyana (88 countries)
  58. Maldives (87 countries)
  59. Nauru (86 countries)
  60. Qatar (85 countries)
  61. Jamaica (84 countries)
  62. Papua New Guinea (83 countries)
  63. Botswana (82 countries)
  64. Bahrain (81 countries)
  65. Suriname (80 countries)
  66. Bolivia (79 countries)
  67. Oman (78 countries)
  68. Belarus, Thailand (77 countries)
  69. Namibia, Kazakhstan (76 countries)
  70. Saudi Arabia (75 countries)
  71. Lesotho, China (74 countries)
  72. Indonesia (73 countries)
  73. Swaziland, Kenya, Malawi (71 countries)
  74. Gambia, Tanzania, Zambia (68 countries)
  75. Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Philippines, Dominican Republic (66 countries)
  76. Cape Verde, Cuba (65 countries)
  77. Uganda, Zimbabwe (64 countries)
  78. Ghana, Kyrgyzstan (63 countries)
  79. Sierra Leone (62 countries)
  80. Armenia, Benin, Morocco, Mongolia (61 countries)
  81. India (60 countries)
  82. Uzbekistan (59 countries)
  83. Sao Tome, Mauritania, Mozambique, Tajikistan (58 countries)
  84. Burkina Faso (57 countries)
  85. Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea (56 countries)
  86. Mali, Gabon, Bhutan (55 countries)
  87. Togo, Niger, Cambodia, Rwanda (54 countries)
  88. Chad, Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, Turkmenistan (53 countries)
  89. Comores Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Laos (52 countries)
  90. Vietnam (51 countries)
  91. Algeria, Jordan (50 countries)
  92. Central African Republic, Angola, Egypt (49 countries)
  93. Cameroon, Myanmar (48 countries)
  94. Liberia, Nigeria, Congo (Republic) (47 countries)
  95. Burundi (46 countries)
  96. Djibouti (45 countries)
  97. Kosovo (44 countries)
  98. Congo (Democratic Republic), Iran (43 countries)
  99. Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, North Korea (42 countries)
  100. South Sudan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Libya (41 countries)
  101. Nepal (40 countries)
  102. Sudan, Eritrea, Palestinian Territory (39 countries)
  103. Yemen (37 countries)
  104. Pakistan (33 countries)
  105. Somalia, Syria (32 countries)
  106. Iraq, Afghanistan (30 countries)