10 Most Powerful Passports in the World
Welcome to the list of the 10 most powerful passports in the world. The list should give you an idea of what is like being a free citizen, at least when it comes to traveling with the passports.
But what’s a passport? A passport is a legal document issued by a government to validate one’s identity. That card allows its owner to travel to other countries under the protection of its government.
The passport is our way to travel in all the places we have dreamed of. That’s what a powerful passport is.
Usually, those passports are ranked based on the number of countries one is allowed to visit Visa-free, or on the minimum number of work hours required to acquire one, on the passport cots, or on the duration of time the document is valid for.
Either way, a powerful passport is something every traveler dreams to have.
Because while we live in a world full of computers and with a lot of choices, the 3×5 inch paper booklet document still carries a lot of weight.
A research conducted by the transportation search and comparison site GoEuro resulted in the list of the 10 most powerful passports in the world.
10. Liechtenstein – can visit 159 countries
This country is a doubly landlocked German-speaking microstate in Central Europe. Bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and Austria to the east and north, Liechtenstein is a constitutional monarchy with the rank of principality, ruled by the Prince of Liechtenstein.
With over 160 square kilometers, and an estimated population of 35,000, the country has the highest gross domestic product per person in the world.
Plus is the second richest country in the world, after Qatar, and has one of the lowest unemployment rates.
With all that data, is no surprise that the country has one of the most powerful passports in the world. With a Liechtenstein passport you can enter 159 countries without a visa.
9. Malaysia and Malta – can visit 163 countries
Malaysia is a federal constitution monarchy that is located in Southeast Asia. With thirteen states and three federal territories, Malaysia has a population of over 30 million which makes the country the 43rd most populated country in the world.
The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, and it is one of the 17 megadiverse countries on earth with large number of endemic species.
Malta is a Southern European island country comprising an archipelago of few islands in the Mediterranean Sea.
Covers just 316 km2 and has a population of around 450,000 which makes it one of the world’s smallest and most densely populated countries.
The capital of Malta is Valletta, which at 0.8 km2, is the smallest national capital in the European Union.
These countries passports are allowing you access in 163 countries without visa.
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8. Iceland – can visit 165 countries
The Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean is the most sparsely populated country in Europe.
With a population of 329,100 most of them live in the capital Reykjavik which is their largest city as well.
The island is a volcanically and geologically active island. Its interior consists of a plateau characterized by sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers.
While the surroundings are amazing the Visa requirements for Icelandic citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Iceland.
A few years back, the people from Iceland has visa-free or visa on arrival access to 165 countries and territories ranking the Icelandic passports eighth in the world.
7. South Korea – can visit 166 countries
The Republic of Korea or simply Korea is a sovereign state in East Asia and is the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.
Its name comes from the Kingdom of Goryeo and more than half of the country’s 50 million people live in the metropolitan area surrounding its capital, the Seoul Capital Area.
The Seoul Capital Area is the second largest capital in the world, with over 25 million residents.
Their passports are issued to those citizens to facilitate international travel.
Like any other passports, they serve as proof for passport holders’ personal information, such as nationality and date of birth. Without the visa, citizens are entitled to visit 166 countries.
6. Australia, Singapore, Greece – can visit 167 countries
Australia is an Oceania country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands.
The country is the world sixth-largest country by total area and one of the wealthiest in the world.
Singapore is a modern city-state and island country in Southeast Asia, which lies off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. As of 2015, Singapore is the richest country in the world.
These three countries are ranked 6th because their citizens can visit 167 countries without visa.
Their main product exports are wheat and wool, electronic materials and olive oil for Greece.
5. Switzerland, Austria, New Zealand – can visit 168 countries
Swiss is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities.
Situated in Western and Central Europe, Switzerland is a landlocked country landlocked. Its population is of approximately 8 million people whom are concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are.
A Swiss passport can visit 168 countries visa-free or with visa on arrival (as of May 2014).
Austria is a federal republic and landlocked country of over 8.5 million people located in Central Europe. As one of the richest countries in the world, Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy comprising nine federal states.
And New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans and during its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life.
In the list, New Zealand was ranked 5th in terms of travel freedom (together with Switzerland and Singapore).
4. Ireland, Canada, France, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain – can visit 170 countries
All of these countries mentioned above are known world leaders when it comes to who has the most power. Same goes in the case of economy and diplomatic affairs.
Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles after Great Britain and also the third-largest in Europe and the twentieth-largest on Earth.
Canada is a country that has ten provinces and three territories. The entire territory of Canada is around 9.98 million square kilometers making Canada the world’s second-largest country by total area and the fourth-largest country by land area.
France is a unitary sovereign state composing territory in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.
Covers 640,679 square kilometers (247,368 sq mi) and has a population of 66.6 million.
All of these countries’ passports allow their citizens to visit 170 countries without the Visa card.
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3. Italy, Belgium, Netherlands – can visit 171 countries
Italy is the 4th most populous EU member state, with 61 million inhabitants.
Italy is a very highly developed country and has the third largest economy in the Eurozone and the eighth-largest in the world.
Belgium is a founding member of the European Union, just like Italy, and hosts the EU’s headquarters as well as those of several major international organizations such as NATO.
The country covers 30,528 square kilometers and has a population of about 11 million people.
The Netherlands is a small, densely populated country located in Western Europe, but also includes three islands in the Caribbean.
These are the three most powerful, economic growths countries in Europe. Their citizens can travel to 171 countries without visa.
2. USA, Germany, Denmark, Luxembourg – can visit 172 countries
The United States of America is a federal republic which consists of 50 states and a federal district.
At 3.80 million square miles (9.85 million km2) and with over 320 million people, the United States is the world’s fourth-largest country by total area and third most populous.
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic in western-central Europe. It includes 16 constituent states and covers an area of 357,021 square kilometers with a largely temperate seasonal climate.
With 80.7 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state in the European Union. After the United States, it is the second most popular migration destination in the world.
Denmark is a country in Northern Europe. Denmark proper has an area of 43,094 square kilometres (16,639 sq mi), and a population of 5,668,743.
Surprisingly USA comes in the second spot for the most powerful passports in the world. Getting a visa to visit a country (if ever required) is not a major hassle.
1. United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland – can visit 173 countries
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state in Europe.
The UK has an area of 93,800 square miles making it the 80th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe.
Sweden is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. At 450,295 square kilometers, Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of over 9.7 million.
Finland officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe bordered by Sweden to the west, Norway to the north and Russia to the east; Estonia lies to the south across the Gulf of Finland. Finland is part of the collective geographical group of nations Fennoscandia.
Although Americans enjoy great travel freedom, a U.S. passport is not the strongest. The most powerful passports are the United Kingdom, Finland, and Sweden, whose passport holders can travel to 173 countries without a visa.
Is your country’s passport powerful enough to be in this list?
