Arton Capital launches its 2016 Passport Index

• The Passport Index, the world’s most popular interactive tool to curate, sort and rank passports of the world
• United Arab Emirates as ‘Most Powerful’ GCC Passport

April 06, Dubai, UAE - Arton Capital, the global leader in residency and citizenship solutions, launched its latest edition of the Passport Index - a ranking system to reveal the benefits of each passport from around the world.

The new generation of the Passport Index compares passports from 199 countries including the 193 United Nations member countries as well as the Republic of China, Kosovo, Palestine, and The Vatican.

Passport Index positions countries based on the power of each passport, determined by Arton Capital’s three-tier method which combines a ranking for ‘Visa-free’ travel, together with ‘Visa on arrival’ ratio, with the country’s score as attributed by United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index to take account of the jurisdiction’s international perception. Essentially, the Index serves to understand and visualize the power of each passport on the holder’s identity, opportunity, mobility and overall quality of life. The 2016 version of the Index allows users to explore a list of visa-free countries for each passport, or visa on arrival.

Germany ranks the most powerful passport in the world, with a visa-free score of 157, followed by Sweden, Finland, Italy and Switzerland.

The United Arab Emirates’ passport ranks at the top of the most powerful in the GCC, 27th in the world and 60th on the individual ranking; mainly boosted from its Schengen visa waiver obtained in 2015.

The highest ranked European country with an available Citizenship by Investment program is that of Malta, ranked 7th, followed by Cyprus (11th) and Bulgaria (14th).

The highest ranked non-European passport is that of South Korea, ranked 3rd, with a visa-free score of 155; followed by Singapore, Japan and Malaysia.

The highest ranked Caribbean country with an available Citizenship by Investment program is Antigua and Barbuda, ranked 25th in the world and 2nd in the region, followed by St Kitts and Nevis (26th) and Saint Lucia (29th).

Passport Index’ Welcoming Rank showcases the most and least welcoming countries in the world, ranked solely on the the number of countries they accept visa-free or with visa on arrival. Dominica ranks the most welcoming country in the Caribbean and 2nd in the world.

Although the world’s top 10 passports this year are all European, it is relatively difficult to obtain visa-free mobility to its member states. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, on average 76% of the world’s population are required to obtain a visa prior to departure to Europe. The highest ranked non-European passports are South Korea, ranked 12th, with a visa-free score of 155, followed by Singapore, ranked 14th.

The Passport Index offers visitors the chance to discover their own Global Mobility Score on their website, allowing users to compare different passports side by side and evaluate the total number of countries they can visit visa-free.

Armand Arton, President of Arton Capital said: “Many people around the world consider their passports a barrier to their opportunities in life and choose to empower their identity and global footprint by obtaining a second citizenship through investment.

“In an age of increasing mobility, becoming a Global Citizen has never been more desirable. Investing in a second residency or citizenship is a liberating and empowering privilege, which comes with a responsibility to the world.”

Arton Capital, known for its significant creative influence and innovative culture is the driving force behind the global citizenship industry. Praised for its bespoke service and attention to detail, Arton has influenced the industry’s growth to a multi-billion dollar a year in foreign direct investments attracted by countries. Today, over 20 countries are offering Residency and Citizenship by Investment programs and are competing for high net-worth investors around the world.