Taiwan's passports are ranked the 72nd most powerful globally, down three spots from 2022, according to an annual passport index published recently by American consulting firm Nomad Capitalist.
The index ranks 199 citizenships on five factors, namely visa-free travel, which carries a 50 percent weighting, taxation of citizens (20 percent), and perception, dual citizenship and personal freedom (10 percent each), according to the company.
Taiwan's passports received a score of 83.0 on the index for 2023, compared with 110.50 for the top passport on the list, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to the index, the UAE featured in the top 10 for the first time in 2023, jumping straight to number one from 35th last year.
"This is largely due to recent changes allowing foreigners to apply for dual citizenship, which, combined with the travel freedoms afforded by a UAE passport, plus the country's business-friendly environment and enviable tax system," it said.
The passports of Luxembourg and Switzerland were tied for second, followed by Ireland and Portugal in a tie, and Germany and the Czech Republic, also tied.
In Asia, South Korean passports are ranked 21st, Singapore's 30th, Japan's 38th, and China's 128th, according to the list.
