Which are the world’s most powerful passports? Britain and the United States
With the ability to cross 147 borders without the need for a visa, US citizens have the most powerful passports in the world, new research has found – although that's shared with the UK.
Financial advisory firm Arton has put together a passport index which ranks the world's most "powerful" passports, crunching data from the International Air Transportation Agency (IATA) as well as individual travellers to see how much visa-free travel they offer.
In today's increasingly globalised world, where citizens, businesses and technology continually cross borders, passports are an important means of controlling the flow of foreign nationals. But this also means they offer a valuable insight into inter-state relations, as countries often make concessions to their friends and vice versa.
Britain and the United States were followed by Eurozone countries France and Germany, as well as – more interestingly – South Korea.
Among the most undesirable passports was the northeast African country of South Sudan – first created in 2011 – giving it just four years to strike up visa-free arrangements with other countries. Another poor performer was North Korea, which requires its citizens to obtain an exit visa meaning many are rarely able to leave the country.
Rank | Country | Visa-free countries |
1. | United States | 147 |
1. | United Kingdom | 147 |
2. | France | 145 |
2. | South Korea | 145 |
2. | Germany | 145 |
3. | Italy | 144 |
3. | Sweden | 144 |
4. | Denmark | 143 |
4. | Singapore | 143 |
4. | Finland | 143 |
4. | Japan | 143 |
4. | Luxembourg | 143 |
4. | Netherlands | 143 |
5. | Switzerland | 142 |
6. | Spain | 141 |
6. | Norway | 141 |
6. | Ireland | 141 |
6. | Belgium | 141 |
6. | Portugal | 141 |
7. | Canada | 140 |
7. | Greece | 140 |
7. | Austria | 140 |
7. | Malaysia | 140 |
8. | New Zealand | 139 |
9. | Czech Republic | 138 |
9. | Australia | 138 |
9. | Hungary | 138 |
10. | Poland | 137 |
10. | Slovakia | 137 |
11. | Malta | 136 |
11. | Cyprus | 136 |
11. | Hong Kong | 136 |
12. | Slovenia | 135 |
12. | Iceland | 135 |
13. | Estonia | 134 |
13. | Oman | 134 |
13. | Latvia | 134 |
14. | Lithuania | 132 |
15. | Liechtenstein | 131 |
15. | Bulgaria | 131 |
16. | Argentina | 129 |
16. | Israel | 129 |
17. | Brazil | 128 |
17. | Romania | 128 |
17. | Monaco | 128 |
18. | Brunei | 125 |
19. | Chile | 124 |
19. | Croatia | 124 |
20. | San Marino | 123 |
21. | Andorra | 122 |
22. | Mexico | 119 |
22. | Barbados | 119 |
23. | Bahamas | 117 |
24. | Seychelles | 116 |
25. | Vatican City | 113 |
25. | Antigua and Barbuda | 113 |
25. | Venezuela | 113 |
25. | Uruguay | 113 |
26. | Mauritius | 111 |
27. | Costa Rica | 110 |
27. | Panama | 110 |
28. | Taiwan | 109 |
29. | Turkey | 108 |
29. | St. Kitts and Nevis | 108 |
30. | Macao | 106 |
31. | Serbia | 104 |
32. | Paraguay | 103 |
33. | Macedonia | 101 |
34. | Honduras | 100 |
35. | Montenegro | 98 |
35. | Guatemala | 98 |
35. | Russian Federation | 98 |
36. | El Salvador | 97 |
36. | Moldova | 97 |
37. | Ukraine | 96 |
38. | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 94 |
39. | Nicaragua | 93 |
40. | Albania | 91 |
41. | South Africa | 84 |
42. | Guinea | 81 |
43. | Trinidad and Tobago | 77 |
44. | Belize | 75 |
45. | China | 74 |
46. | St. Lucia | 73 |
47. | Peru | 72 |
47. | United Arab Emirates | 72 |
47. | Dominica | 72 |
48. | Grenada | 71 |
48. | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 71 |
49. | Sierra Leone | 69 |
50. | Cuba | 68 |
50. | Kenya | 68 |
50. | Jamaica | 68 |
50. | Tonga | 68 |
50. | Botswana | 68 |
51. | Tuvalu | 67 |
52. | Niger | 66 |
52. | Ghana | 66 |
52. | Belarus | 66 |
52. | Qatar | 66 |
52. | Gambia | 66 |
53. | Maldives | 65 |
53. | Samoa | 65 |
53. | Lesotho | 65 |
53. | Kazakhstan | 65 |
54. | Vanuatu | 64 |
54. | Kiribati | 64 |
54. | Ecuador | 64 |
54. | Guyana | 64 |
54. | Kuwait | 64 |
55. | Fiji | 63 |
55. | Thailand | 63 |
56. | Swaziland | 62 |
56. | Colombia | 62 |
56. | Nauru | 62 |
57. | Nigeria | 61 |
57. | Bahrain | 61 |
57. | Philippines | 61 |
57. | Saudi Arabia | 61 |
57. | Azerbaijan | 61 |
57. | Tunisia | 61 |
57. | Tanzania | 61 |
57. | Mali | 61 |
57. | Namibia | 61 |
57. | Zambia | 61 |
58. | Mongolia | 60 |
58. | Benin | 60 |
58. | Morocco | 60 |
58. | Malawi | 60 |
59. | India | 59 |
59. | Georgia | 59 |
60. | Suriname | 57 |
60. | Indonesia | 57 |
60. | Uganda | 57 |
60. | Papua New Guinea | 57 |
60. | Senegal | 57 |
61. | Bolivia | 56 |
61. | Cape Verde | 56 |
62. | Armenia | 55 |
63. | Kyrgyzstan | 54 |
63. | Marshall Islands | 54 |
64. | Tajikistan | 53 |
64. | Uzbekistan | 53 |
64. | Burkina Faso | 53 |
64. | Mauritania | 53 |
64. | Zimbabwe | 53 |
64. | Egypt | 53 |
64. | Congo | 53 |
65. | Mozambique | 52 |
65. | Liberia | 52 |
66. | Vietnam | 51 |
66. | Algeria | 51 |
66. | Guinea-Bissau | 51 |
66. | Palau | 51 |
67. | Togo | 50 |
67. | Bangladesh | 50 |
67. | Micronesia | 50 |
68. | Dominican Republic | 49 |
68. | Jordan | 49 |
68. | Haiti | 49 |
69. | Cameroon | 48 |
69. | Syria | 48 |
70. | Libya | 47 |
70. | Iran | 47 |
70. | Turkmenistan | 47 |
70. | Sudan | 47 |
70. | Sri Lanka | 47 |
71. | Pakistan | 46 |
72. | Chad | 45 |
73. | Cambodia | 44 |
73. | Lebanon | 44 |
73. | North Korea | 44 |
73. | Gabon | 44 |
74. | Angola | 43 |
74. | Rwanda | 43 |
75. | Timor-Leste | 42 |
75. | Madagascar | 42 |
76. | Yemen | 41 |
76. | Kosovo | 41 |
76. | Democratic Republic of Congo | 41 |
76. | Central African Republic | 41 |
77. | Bhutan | 40 |
77. | Equatorial Guinea | 40 |
77. | Comoros | 40 |
77. | Burundi | 40 |
78. | Eritrea | 39 |
78. | Somalia | 39 |
79. | Iraq | 38 |
79. | Djibouti | 38 |
79. | Afghanistan | 38 |
79. | Nepal | 38 |
79. | Ethiopia | 38 |
80. | Solomon Islands | 28 |
80. | Myanmar [Burma] | 28 |
80. | South Sudan | 28 |
80. | Sao Tome and Principe | 28 |
80. | Palestinian Territories | 28 |