If you have a passport from a country in good global standing, consider yourself lucky.
Very lucky.
All passports aren’t given equal treatment and consideration when it comes to moving across borders. Just ask anyone who’s dealt with all the red tape invovled in a visa application process.
Financial firm Arton Capital – who has an MO of connecting clients to citizen-purchasing programs – has compiled a ranking of the world’s best passports to show which come with less of a headache. The ranking is based on the number of other countries a passport holder can visit without obtaining a visa either beforehand or upon arrival.
As for the list, it isn’t too surprising.
The more developed and economically sound a country is, the more travel freedom its citizens can enjoy.
Here are the countries with the most powerful passports:
Tied 1st with 147 Visa-Free Countries:
United States of America, United Kingdom
Tied 2nd with 145 Visa-Free Countries:
France, South Korea, Germany
Tied 3rd with 144 Visa-Free Countries:
Italy, Sweden
Tied 4th with 143 Visa-Free Countries:
Denmark, Singapore, Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands
As for Canada, it’s tied for the 7th spot with Greece, Austria, and Malaysia, with 140 visa-free countries.
In contrast, here are the countries with the least powerful passports:
38 Visa-Free Countries:
Iraq, Djibouti, Afghanistan, Nepal, Ethiopia
28 Visa-Free Countries:
Solomon Islands, Myanmar (Burma), South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe, Palestinian Territories
Find the full list here.
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