Japan, Singapore and South Korea have the most powerful passports as the world recovers from Covid-19, reversing pre-pandemic rankings that were dominated by European nations.

A Japanese passport provides hassle-free entry to 193 countries, one more than those from Singapore and South Korea, according to the latest Henley Passport Index from Henley & Partners, an immigration consultancy.

Thailand ranked 70th, with 79 visa-free destinations and 147 requiring visas. Of its immediate neighbours,  Malaysia ranked 13th, with only 47 visa required destinations, Cambodia 93rd, Laos 95th and Myanmar 99th.

Russian travel documents are ranked 50th, giving easy access to 119 nations. China placed 69th with access to 80 countries, India’s passport ranked 87th and Afghanistan’s passport is the least useful, getting the holder into only 27 countries.

As recently as 2017, Asian countries barely featured among the world’s 10 most-accepted passports, according to the index.

The UK is sixth with access to 187 countries, while the US is seventh with a score of 186, the latest ranking shows.