ATHENS – Greek passports – which during the economic crisis and first waves of refugees in 2016 saw forgeries and fakes and checks when entering some other European Union countries, are now the 6th most powerful in the world, dropping one spot.

The list is compiled by the British investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners, using data from the International Air Transport Association’s database, and based on how many destinations can be visited without a visa.

Greece was tied with Poland, behind Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Greece can also claim to be ahead of the United States, which traditionally had been the most valuable in the world but is 8th while the worst in the world belong to the war-torn countries of Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Greece in recent years has added features to the passport making it easier for Greeks returning home to go through an airport with just a scanning instead of having to present it to an agent or law enforcement official.

The Greek passport is designed to be counterfeit-proof and imbedded with the latest intricate security features including hologram features and ‘floating security printing which links cyan guilloches to the color portrait overlap.

The appearance is enhanced with elaborate embossing and tactile laser which contributes to its anti-counterfeiting properties. The personal data page, which holds identity information about the holder, is made of extra strong polycarbonate.

Other security features include negative and positive microtext and a DOVID DID™ 90-degree color permutation, adding to its protection.