PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian passport, which allows its holders to enter 179 destinations without applying for a visa, has been ranked 12th in the Henley Passport Index 2022.

       This puts Malaysia ahead of neighbouring countries Brunei (22nd) and Indonesia (71st).

       According to the Henley Passport Index by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, Japan and Singapore's passports lead in terms of the number of destinations (192 each) their holders can enter without a visa, followed by Germany and South Korea (190 each).

       Afghanistan was last on the list, with only 26 destinations where its passport holders can travel visa-free.

       The index’s scores are based on the number of destinations a passport holder can visit without applying for a visa.

       The ranking was also compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association, where 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations were studied.

       The report noted, however, that pandemic-related travel bans may take precedence over the visa information recorded.