The idea of citizenship and passports may seem random, but it has a massive influence on your ability to do certain things and travel the world. The power of your country’s passport is all based on politics and many years of historical relationships between different nations.
However, it’s not necessarily as simple as just being born in a specific country. There are many other ways that you can gain citizenship in other countries, but it involves a lot of time, effort, and bureaucracy, and there are massive limitations based on where you’re from, your occupation, your financial situation and so much more.
The strength of a country’s passport can be measured in different ways, but the most common evaluation is based on how many countries allow holders of the passport in question access either without a visa or with a visa on arrival – this is commonly referred to as a “visa-free score”. Of course, it’s essential to note that these scores change periodically as international relations change, so they’re not set in stone!
So, with these things in mind, let’s have a look at the world’s 10 most powerful passports (in no particular order).
1. Singapore
Singapore ranks in the top three most powerful passports in the world – it grants holders of Singaporean passports access to a total of 192 different countries either with visa-on-arrival requirements or no visa at all.
The country is renowned for its exceptional economic and political stability, as well as responsible international diplomacy, leading to its positive international reputation which leads directly to its passport strength.
2. Germany
Germany has one of the strongest European passports these days, despite its troubling past in the 20th century. The German passport grants its holders visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 190 different countries.
The country has been through ups and downs, but it’s established itself as a 21st-century economic powerhouse – with one of the world’s largest and strongest economies – making its citizens attractive for foreign business, trade, and tourism. They also boast exceptional political stability and positive diplomatic relations.
3. Finland
With access to 189 countries either without a visa or with a visa upon arrival, Finland is another European country with an incredibly strong passport. Not only is the country known for its political stability and strong diplomacy, but its membership to the European Union and Nordic Passport Union encourages further positive international relations. They also have an incredibly high Human Development Index (HDI), making their citizens more attractive to foreign nations.
4. France
France is also a member of the European Union, and, it’s part of the Schengan area, allowing for a lot of passport-free travel and reciprocal visa agreements. The country is economically strong, politically stable, and has a massive tourism hub. Furthermore, the French HDI is also fairly high.
The French passport grants its holders visa-free/visa-upon-arrival access to 187 countries.
5. Austria
Austria is another European country with an excellent visa-free/visa-upon-arrival score – Austrian passport holders have access to 188 out of 225 different countries. Much like previously mentioned European countries, this is aided by the fact that they’re within the Schengan Area, part of the European Union, and have relatively high HDI. They also boast excellent economic strength and political stability.
6. Japan
Japan is another country that has consistently been in the top five (if not the top) most powerful passports in the world with a visa-free score of 193 of 225 total countries.
One of the reasons for Japan’s consistently high score is its incredible political stability, as well as the fact that Japan is an economic powerhouse. They’re also known for their responsible travel behaviour, and the government also has several reciprocal visa agreements with other nations.
7. Italy
Granting passport holders with access to 190 countries without the necessity of visas (or just a visa on arrival), an Italian passport is a great one to have!
As a member of the European Union and a country within the Schengan area, Italy finds itself well poised within international relations. The country is politically stable and boasts a high HDI, also allowing for reciprocal visa agreements with many countries.
8. Sweden
Also sitting at a visa-free/visa-upon-arrival score of 190, Sweden offers its citizens a super powerful passport, allowing for easy travel and offering diplomatic advantages. Again, it’s not a surprise, since the country is part of the European Union and it’s part of the Schengan area. The Swedish also notoriously stay out of major international conflict, meaning that they have diplomatic relations with most of the world and are politically stable.
9. South Korea
South Korea is one of the outliers on this list, being one of the few non-European countries with a super powerful passport. Indeed, the South Korean passport grants its holders visa-free/visa-upon-arrival access to 190 countries around the world.
Some of the purported reasons for this include the standard high HDI score, powerful economy, and political stability. However, in addition to these things, many people believe that Asian countries are gaining newfound respect and they seem to have different relationships with some other Asian and African countries, decreasing barriers to entry.
10. Spain
Last but not least, Spain is yet another European country with a strong passport, scoring 190 on the visa-free/visa-upon-arrival scale. Much like other countries on the continent, they’re politically stable and economically strong, and, their membership in the European Union and Schengen Zone also help.
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