According to the 2018 Henley Passport Index, a ranking based on the number of countries to which a passport holder can travel without a visa, Japan has leapfrogged the UK to become the issuer of the world’s most powerful passport. Japan moved into the top spot with visa-free access to 190 nations while the UK fell to fifth with 186. In 2017, the UK ranked fourth with visa-free entry to 173 countries and Japan was one spot behind with 172. Although the UK now trails Japan, the results reflect improvements for both nations and their global relationships.