The Luxembourgish passport has slipped down the ranking of those countries that give its nationals visa-free access to more countries, a ranking published on Thursday showed.
Luxembourg offers the fourth most powerful passport in the world, allowing nationals to travel to 189 countries without needing a visa, according to the Henley Passport Index .
A passport from the Grand Duchy has featured in the global top four annually since 2017 and has never dropped lower than sixth since the list was first compiled in 2006. Last year it ranked third.
Japan made it to the top spot by allowing 193 visa-free destinations. It was followed by Singapore and South Korea in a second-place tie, then Germany and Spain in joint third.
The Henley Passport Index lists countries according to data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and bases its ranking “according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa”.
Luxembourg has recognised dual nationality for more than a decade, under a law which came into force in January 2009. Anyone wishing to become a citizen must pass a Luxembourgish language test, the Sproochentest, comprising a spoken and listening exam. A score of at least 50% on the spoken test is required to pass, although the result in the listening exam can be offset against it.
Non-Luxembourgers account for around half of the Grand Duchy’s population and around 70% of residents in the capital, with the latest figures showing that Luxembourg’s strong population growth and employment growth is driven by foreigners, including by non-EU migration.
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