London— The Henley Passport Index on Tuesday released its first report of the new year, retaining the Nepali passport’s rank at 101 out of 107 over the paltry 38 nations that holders can travel to without visas.

Powered by the International Air Transport Association, the Henley Passport Index measures global access on the basis of nationality. It’s ranking of 200 countries provides an in-depth picture of travel freedom, including the countries a given passport allows people access to and the types of visas required.

In its latest report, the Index found that only 38 nations allow visa-free access to Nepal. The only countries with less travel freedom are Syria (with 29 visa-free options); Iraq (28); and Afghanistan (26). Neighboring India, meanwhile, ranks at 84 with 58 nations offering its nationals visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.

The strongest passport, meanwhile, was found to be that of Japan. According to the Index, the Japanese can avail visa-free, or visa-on-arrival, access to 191 destinations around the world. Singapore comes in second with 190; while South Korea and Germany are tied in third place with 189.

The report notes that the gap between the highest and lowest ranking states—Japan and Afghanistan—is the largest it has been since the Index launched in 2006. A Japanese passport holder can access 165 more destinations than a holder of Afghanistan’s, it noted.

The U.S. and the U.K., meanwhile, continued to slide down the rankings. They currently are tied in eighth place with 184 options for ease of travel—a dramatic drop from the number one spot they jointly held in 2015.

The report noted that the biggest success story of the past decade was the U.A.E., which has climbed 47 places in 10 years and is currently at 18th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 171.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says the rise of Asian nations proves the benefits of “open-door policies and the introduction of mutually beneficial trade agreements.” The Index also cited political science researchers Uğur Altundal and Ömer Zarpli, of Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh respectively, to have found a strongly positive correlation between travel freedom and other kinds of liberties—from the economic to the political, and even individual freedoms.

“There’s a distinct correlation between visa freedom and investment freedom, for instance. Similar to trade freedom, countries that rank highly in investment freedom generally have stronger passports. European states such as Austria, Malta, and Switzerland clearly show that countries with a business-friendly environment tend to score highly when it comes to passport power. Likewise, by using the Human Freedom Index, we found a strong correlation between personal freedom and travel freedom,” Henley quoted them as saying.

The countries* that Nepalese can visit without going through grueling visa approvals are:

• Bolivia: Visa on arrival -90 days
• Burundi: i Visa on arrival – 30 days; obtainable at Bujumbura International Airport
• Cambodia: Visa on arrival – 30 days
• Cape Verde: Visa on arrival
• Comoros: Visa on arrival
• Djibouti: Visa on arrival
• Dominica: Visa not required – 21 days
• Gambia: Visa not required – 90 days
• Guinea-Bissau: Visa on arrival – 90 days
• Haiti: Visa not required – 3 months
• India: Freedom of movement; Nepalese citizens may live and work freely in India under the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship.
• Kenya: Visa on arrival – 90 days
• Laos: Visa on arrival – 30 days
• Madagascar: Visa on arrival – 90 days
• Malawi: Visa not required – 90 days
• Maldives: Visa on arrival – 30 days
• Mali: Visa on arrival
• Mauritania: Visa on arrival
• Micronesia: Visa not required – 30 days
• Mozambique: Visa on arrival – 30 days
• Myanmar: eVisa – 28 days. eVisa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports.
• Pakistan: Visa not required – 1 month
• Palau: Visa on arrival – 30 days
• Philippines: Visa not required – 30 days
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Visa not required – 30 days
• Samoa: Entry Permit on arrival – 60 days
• Serbia: Visa required -Visa free for a maximum stay of 90 days for valid visa holders or residents of the European Union member states and the United States.
• Seychelles: Visitor’s Permit on arrival – 1 month
• Singapore: Visa on arrival – 30 days
• Somalia: Visa required -Visa on arrival for 30 days, provided an invitation letter issued by the sponsor has been submitted to the Airport Immigration Department at least 2 days before arrival.
• Sri Lanka: Electronic Travel Authorization – 30 days; must hold return or onward ticket
• Tanzania: Visa on arrival – 3 months
• Timor-Leste: Visa on arrival – 30 days
• Togo : Visa on arrival – 7 days
• Tuvalu: Visa on arrival – 1 month
• Uganda: Visa on arrival