A UK-based web site has ranked Republic of China (ROC) passports the 22nd most powerful in the world in terms of gaining visa-free access. The Republic of China is the official name of Taiwan.
The British web site behind the rankings is “movehub.com”, which is designed to help people move abroad.
The site said that Taiwanese travelers, using ROC passports, are granted visa waivers or visas upon arrival in 130 countries. That puts Taiwan on the same footing as Vatican City.
In Asia, only five other countries have more powerful passports than Taiwan. They include Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
At the top of the list are the United Kingdom, Sweden and Finland. A total of 173 nations grant people from those three countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival status. The rank listed the United States in second place, along with Germany, Luxembourg and Denmark, with 172 countries offering special visa considerations.