Want to travel around the world? But just who easy that is has a lot to do with what passport one is using? Some passports are much more powerful than others. So just how powerful is one's passport?

Getting visas, extensions, and overstaying around the world is incredibly complicated and every place has its own set of rules. But still, there are a couple of online indexes and interactive tools to help with that and enable people to have a better idea of what to expect.

Henley Passport Index (HPI)

The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom of holders of those passports.

The site ranks 199 passports around the world according to the number of countries people with those countries can travel to visa-free. It is made in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)

  • Passports vs Countries: The Number Of Passports Is Not Exactly The Same As The Number of Recognized Countries. E.g. Hong Kong Has Its Own Passport But Is Part of China

To create the score for each country (or territory like Hong Kong, Macau, or British Overseas Passport holders), the passport is checked against the IATA database. Some of the steps and assumptions are:

  • Cross Checking: Each of the 199 Passports is Checked Against All 227 Possible Travel Destinations
  • Conditions: The Traveler Must Be an Adult With a Passport Issued By That Country, Must Be Traveling for Tourism or Business, and Must Be Staying At Least Three Days
  • Assumptions: There Are Assumptions Travelers Meet All The Requirements (Like Vaccine requirements, Not Criminal History, etc.)
  • e-Visas: In This Ranking, A 0 Score Is Given If One Need To Get a Government Approved e-Visa Before Departure

According to their 2021 list, the countries that enjoy the most visa-free or visa-on-arrival access are Japan and Singapore (tied at 192 destinations). Next, comes Germany and South Korea with 190 visa-free destinations.

The most powerful passports on their list are mostly European ones (except for the three East Asian ones listed above).

  • Japan & Singapore: Tied First Place at 192 Destinations
  • United States: In The 7th Category (tied with the United Kingdom and Others) At 185 Destinations
  • Australia: 8th Category at 184 (Below New Zealand with its 186 Visa-Free Destinations)
  • Afghanistan: Last At 26 Destinations

Related: Ranked: The World's 25 Most Powerful Passports

The Passport Index

Another online tool is the Passport Index. This index ranks things a little differently and e-Visas required beforehand are not counted as "visa required". Their website is interactive and provides an easy comparison of the world's different passports. In the last couple of years, temporary Covid bans have had a large impact on the rankings of passports.

The Passport Index provides a few rankings including:

  • Global Passport Power Rank: The World's Passports Ranked By Their Total Visa-Free Scare
  • Welcoming Countries Rank: Ranks Countries By How Welcoming They are To other Nationalities

The results are continuously updated and are shown in real-time. As of the time of writing the most powerful passports are United Arab Emirates, Germany, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Luxemburg, Switzerland, South Korea, New Zealand.

Most Powerful:

  • First - United Arab Emirates: Score 159 (104 Visa Free, 55 Visa On Arrival/e-Visa, 39 Visa Required
  • Second - Germany: Score 151 (112 Visa Free, 39 Visa on Arrival/e-Visa, 47 Visa Required

The United States comes in in the 5th category with a score of 148 with 102 Visa Free, 46 Visa On Arrival/e-Visa, and 50 Visa required. That is one notch below Australia, but one above Canada and the United Kingdom.

Least Powerful:

  • Iraq: Score 34 (4 Visa Free, 30 Visa on Arrival/e-Visa, 164 Visa Required)
  • Afghanistan: Score 34 (4 Visa Free, 30 Visa on Arrival/e-Visa, 164 Visa Required)

For these countries, the reality is likely even worse for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is that it may be difficult to even reach the end destination. E.g. they only need to have an e-Visa for the small African country of Lesotho, but they will likely have to transit through South Africa to get there - and South Africa does require a visa.

Related: Where To Get Accurate And Informed Information When Traveling To Unusual Destinations

Its More Complicated

These lists are very useful for global trotters. but there are many things to watch out for. Like it is visa-free for British to go to Vietnam - but only for two weeks, so many will likely apply for an e-Visa anyway.

Many passports can go to Oman visa-free - but only for 14 days. Most can apply for an e-Visa for 30 days, but for New Zealand, it's issued for 3 months and free of charge.

Some countries require one to enter and leave through the main airport - like Ethiopia and Belarus. So if one is planning to just visit Ethiopia, no problem. But if one is planning a trip overland from Cairo to Cape Town, through Ethiopia, then one will need a visa to cross the border just the same.

Next: 15 No-Passport Required Destinations (10 Places We Will Never Be Able To Enter)