Which Countries Have the World’s Most Powerful Passports?

Using the Passport Index, the team at Italian Dual Citizenship determined which countries in the world have the most powerful passports based on how many countries are easily accessible. These include countries that give visa-free access to passport holders, countries that provide visas upon arrival, and countries that require an eVisa. Countries were not considered easily accessible if they required a visa or if travel was outright banned.

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What Is the Most Powerful Passport in the World?

The United Arab Emirates has the most powerful passport. UAE passport holders can easily enter 179 countries. Notable exceptions for an Emirati passport include:

United States
Australia
Algeria
Belize
Eritrea
Ghana
Jamaica
North Korea
Liberia
Myanmar
Niger
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkmenistan
Venezuela

In these nations, a visa is still required. Citizens of the UAE are not allowed to enter Afghanistan at all.

Just behind the UAE is Spain. A Spanish passport grants easy access to 178 countries. France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, and Switzerland all allow easy access to 177 countries with their passports.

The Top 10 Most Powerful Passports in the World

United Arab Emirates
Spain
(tie) France
Italy
Germany
Netherlands
Luxembourg
Austria
Switzerland
(tie) Sweden
Belgium
Finland

Worst Passport in the World

The United States ranks #35 out of 199 countries. Tied with Malta, Canada, Slovenia, Latvia, and Liechtenstein, a US passport grants easy access to 172 countries. Countries that US citizens cannot access with a standard passport include:

Afghanistan
Algeria
Belarus
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Republic of the Congo
Eritrea
Ghana
Iran
North Korea
Liberia
Mali
Nauru
Niger
Russia
Sudan
Turkmenistan

Visa-Free Countries for US

In addition to the above countries that require a visa, some countries require an eVisa, a visa-on-arrival, or tourist registration. However, there are 116 countries that US citizens can visit with a standard passport. Visa-free countries for US citizens include:

Albania
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canada
Cape Verde
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Fiji
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Malawi
Malaysia
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Netherlands
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Norway
Palau
Palestinian Territories
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Zambia

Become an Italian Citizen and Get an Italian Passport

Through italiandualcitizenship.net, you can become an Italian citizen and be eligible for one of the world’s most powerful passports. Some countries you cannot visit with a US passport but can with an Italian passport include:

Belarus
China
Gambia
Iran
Russia (via eVisa)
Venezuela

How to Get an Italian Passport (Jure Sanguinis)

Once you become an Italian citizen, you may be able to apply for an Italian citizenship by descent providing either a birth certificate of your Italian-born ancestors, a death certificate of your Italian-born ancestor, a marriage certificate showing a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent or great-great-grandparent was married in Italy, a copy of the naturalization record for your parent or grandparent, as well as your own birth certificate and any divorce records. For more information, please see our article on Italian passport requirements. Many people obtain EU citizenship for the benefit of buying property in Italy. As a citizen, you will pay significantly less taxes and fees when you buy a house.

The 12 Countries With the Most Powerful Passports

	Country	Number of Countries That Are Easily Accessible With Passport	Visa-Free: Countries That Do Not Require Permission for Passport Holders to Enter
1	United Arab Emirates	179	133
2	Spain	178	134
3	France	177	134
4	Italy	177	133
4	Germany	177	133
6	Netherlands	177	132
6	Luxembourg	177	132
8	Austria	177	131
9	Switzerland	177	129
10	Sweden	176	133
10	Belgium	176	133
10	Finland	176	133

Every Country Ranked by the Power of Its Passport

	Country	Visa-Free	Visa on Arrival	Visa Required (Visa must be applied for in advance)	Number of Countries That Are Easily Accessible With Passport
1	United Arab Emirates	133	46	19	179
2	Spain	134	44	20	178
3	France	134	43	21	177
4	Italy	133	44	21	177
4	Germany	133	44	21	177
6	Netherlands	132	45	21	177
6	Luxembourg	132	45	21	177
8	Austria	131	46	21	177
9	Switzerland	129	48	21	177
10	Sweden	133	43	22	176
10	Belgium	133	43	22	176
10	Finland	133	43	22	176
13	Poland	128	48	22	176
14	Ireland	127	49	22	176
15	Denmark	131	44	23	175
16	Portugal	130	45	23	175
17	Norway	129	46	23	175
18	Greece	128	47	23	175
19	Hungary	126	49	23	175
20	Singapore	138	36	24	174
21	Czech Republic	126	48	24	174
22	South Korea	124	50	24	174
23	New Zealand	123	51	24	174
24	United Kingdom	125	48	25	173
24	Japan	125	48	25	173
26	Estonia	124	49	25	173
26	Lithuania	124	49	25	173
26	Croatia	124	49	25	173
26	Slovakia	124	49	25	173
30	Australia	119	54	25	173
31	Malta	129	43	26	172
32	Canada	124	48	26	172
32	Slovenia	124	48	26	172
34	Latvia	123	49	26	172
35	United States of America	122	50	26	172
36	Liechtenstein	120	52	26	172
37	Romania	122	49	27	171
38	Iceland	121	50	27	171
38	Bulgaria	121	50	27	171
40	Cyprus	126	44	28	170
41	Malaysia	124	45	29	169
42	Monaco	115	53	30	168
43	Brazil	115	49	34	164
44	Argentina	112	51	35	163
45	Chile	113	48	37	161
46	Hong Kong	120	40	38	160
47	San Marino	108	52	38	160
48	Andorra	106	52	40	158
49	Brunei	112	43	43	155
50	Israel	111	44	43	155
51	Barbados	112	42	44	154
52	Bahamas	109	45	44	154
53	Mexico	104	48	46	152
54	Uruguay	103	48	47	151
55	Vatican City	100	50	48	150
56	Ukraine	97	51	50	148
57	Peru	95	53	50	148
58	Saint Kitts and Nevis	106	41	51	147
59	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	105	41	52	146
60	Seychelles	104	42	52	146
61	Costa Rica	97	48	53	145
62	Paraguay	93	51	54	144
63	Antigua and Barbuda	103	40	55	143
63	Trinidad and Tobago	103	40	55	143
65	Macao	97	44	57	141
66	Mauritius	101	38	59	139
67	Saint Lucia	98	41	59	139
68	Panama	93	46	59	139
69	Colombia	89	49	60	138
70	Grenada	98	39	61	137
71	Serbia	90	47	61	137
72	Solomon Islands	91	44	63	135
73	Dominica	93	40	65	133
74	Georgia	83	50	65	133
75	El Salvador	85	47	66	132
76	Taiwan	82	50	66	132
77	Guatemala	84	47	67	131
78	Honduras	85	45	68	130
79	North Macedonia	83	47	68	130
80	Samoa	86	43	69	129
81	Montenegro	83	46	69	129
82	Tuvalu	86	42	70	128
83	Tonga	87	40	71	127
84	Russian Federation	84	43	71	127
85	Kiribati	83	44	71	127
86	Türkiye	75	52	71	127
87	Venezuela	74	53	71	127
88	Marshall Islands	79	47	72	126
89	Nicaragua	78	46	74	124
90	Bosnia and Herzegovina	78	45	75	123
90	Moldova	78	45	75	123
92	Palau	73	50	75	123
93	Albania	77	44	77	121
94	Micronesia	73	48	77	121
95	Qatar	75	43	80	118
96	South Africa	65	46	87	111
97	Kuwait	62	49	87	111
98	Saudi Arabia	58	45	95	103
99	Ecuador	52	51	95	103
100	Timor-Leste	58	43	97	101
101	Bahrain	54	47	97	101
102	Belize	62	38	98	100
103	Maldives	57	43	98	100
104	Jamaica	59	40	99	99
105	Oman	50	48	100	98
106	Fiji	52	45	101	97
107	Guyana	52	44	102	96
108	Vanuatu	51	45	102	96
109	Thailand	45	51	102	96
110	Kazakhstan	45	49	104	94
111	China	44	50	104	94
112	Indonesia	49	43	106	92
113	Belarus	46	46	106	92
114	Kosovo	52	39	107	91
115	Nauru	47	43	108	90
116	Suriname	40	48	110	88
117	Bolivia	38	50	110	88
118	Botswana	53	34	111	87
119	Papua New Guinea	42	44	112	86
120	Azerbaijan	38	48	112	86
121	Dominican Republic	34	51	113	85
122	Armenia	38	46	114	84
123	Lesotho	48	35	115	83
124	Morocco	41	41	116	82
125	Eswatini	47	34	117	81
126	Namibia	45	35	118	80
127	Tunisia	39	41	118	80
128	Malawi	44	35	119	79
129	Mongolia	39	40	119	79
130	Philippines	38	40	120	78
131	Kenya	40	37	121	77
132	Cuba	32	45	121	77
133	Tanzania	46	30	122	76
134	Zambia	41	35	122	76
135	Cape Verde	39	37	122	76
136	Uzbekistan	32	44	122	76
137	Kyrgyzstan	30	46	122	76
138	Ghana	44	31	123	75
139	Rwanda	31	43	124	74
140	Gambia	45	28	125	73
141	Uganda	37	36	125	73
142	India	29	44	125	73
143	Sao Tome and Principe	28	45	125	73
144	Tajikistan	27	45	126	72
145	Zimbabwe	39	31	128	70
146	Benin	34	35	129	69
147	Gabon	29	40	129	69
148	Burkina Faso	32	36	130	68
149	Mozambique	31	37	130	68
150	Madagascar	30	38	130	68
151	Vietnam	27	41	130	68
152	Cambodia	25	43	130	68
153	Algeria	24	44	130	68
154	Sierra Leone	41	26	131	67
155	Senegal	34	33	131	67
156	Togo	31	36	131	67
157	Equatorial Guinea	25	42	131	67
158	Egypt	21	45	132	66
159	Niger	32	33	133	65
160	Cote D’Ivoire	30	35	133	65
161	Mauritania	27	38	133	65
162	Jordan	24	41	133	65
163	Bhutan	20	45	133	65
164	Turkmenistan	18	47	133	65
165	Angola	25	39	134	64
166	Mali	33	30	135	63
167	Guinea	30	33	135	63
168	Comoros	19	44	135	63
169	Laos	24	38	136	62
170	Haiti	18	44	136	62
170	Djibouti	18	44	136	62
172	Chad	24	37	137	61
173	Central African Republic	22	39	137	61
174	Guinea-Bissau	28	32	138	60
175	Cameroon	22	37	139	59
176	Liberia	26	32	140	58
177	Burundi	20	38	140	58
178	Lebanon	18	40	140	58
179	Sri Lanka	22	35	141	57
179	Congo	22	35	141	57
181	Iran	17	40	141	57
182	Myanmar	16	41	141	57
183	Ethiopia	14	42	142	56
184	Nigeria	27	27	144	54
185	Democratic Republic of the Congo	18	36	144	54
186	Nepal	14	40	144	54
187	South Sudan	19	34	145	53
188	Sudan	15	38	145	53
189	Eritrea	13	40	145	53
190	Libya	16	36	146	52
191	North Korea	12	40	146	52
192	Palestinian Territories	14	36	148	50
193	Bangladesh	19	30	149	49
194	Yemen	12	35	151	47
195	Pakistan	12	34	152	46
195	Somalia	12	34	152	46
197	Iraq	11	32	155	43
198	Afghanistan	6	34	158	40
199	Syria	9	30	159	39

This page was last updated by Marco Permunian and Jason LoPresti

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