BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Bruneian passport was ranked 17th in the world for travelers in a recent survey, based on the number of visa-free countries its holders can travel to out of one hundred and seventy four destinations.

According to the 2014 Visa Restrictions Index, holders of Bruneian passports can travel to one hundred and fifty countries without visas. Singapore and Malaysia were the only two Southeast Asian countries that made it to the top ten in the 2014 index.

Singapore was ranked fifth in the world, as Singaporeans can travel visa-free to one hundred and seventy countries, while Malaysia was ranked eighth, as Malaysians can travel visa-free to one hundred and sixty six countries.

Among Southeast Asian countries, the Sultanate was ranked third, followed by Thailand (62nd in the world, visa-free travel to sixty nine countries), the Philippines (68th, sixty two countries), Indonesia (72nd, fifty six countries), Laos (80th, forty eight countries), Vietnam (81st, forty seven countries) and Myanmar (86th, forty two countries).

In todays globalised world, visa restrictions play an important role in controlling the movement of foreign nationals across borders. Almost all countries now require visas from certain non-nationals who wish to enter their territory, said Henly & Partners, a global consulting firm in international residence and citizenship planning, which held the survey.

Visa requirements are also an expression of the relationships between individual nations, and generally reflect the relations and status of a country within the international community of nations it said in statement.

At the top of the Index, jointly, were Finland, Sweden, Germany, the United States and Britain. Citizens of these countries are able to travel visa-free to one hundred and seventy four destinations.

The worst passport in the world for travelers to hold is from Afghanistan, ranked at number 94th, as it allows visa-free entry to just twenty eight countries, followed by Iraq with thirty one countries, and Pakistan and Somalia at thirty two countries each. BRUDIRECT.COM

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

View post:

Brunei Passport Ranked 17th in the World, Able to Travel Visa-Free to 150 Nations