The Passport Index Explained

The Passport Index
Type:	Service
Owner:	Arton Capital

The Passport Index is an interactive online tool by Arton Capital that provides its users with insights about passports, including the ability to compare and rank the world's passports. Rankings are based on the freedom of movement and visa-free travel open to holders of particular passports.^{[1] [2] [3]} The site allows the display of various territories' passports using a variety of filters such as region and passport cover colour.^[4]

World Openness Score

The World Openness Score is a measure or index that tracks the ability of the world's population to travel visa-free. It grew from 17,904 to 20,143 between 2015 and August 2018.^[5] But due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the index fell to about 13,000. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it rose again. In 2022, the index was nearly 22,000.

Methodology

The Passport Index compares passports mainly on their visa-free travel options, but also on how welcoming the countries are to visiting foreigners. In its ranking, The Passport Index looks at 193 United Nations member countries and six territories, which include ROC Taiwan, Macao (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory and the Vatican. Territories annexed to other countries such as Norfolk Island (Australia), French Polynesia (France), British Virgin Islands (Britain) are excluded.^{[6] [7]}

Visa-free Score

The Passport Index ranks passports based on a "total visa-free score," which assigns passports a point for each country their holders can visit without a visa, with a visa on arrival or by obtaining electronic travel authorization (ETA). The country with the highest visa-free score has the most powerful passport.^[8]

Welcoming Score

The Passport Index awards one point to each country's passport which allows its bearer to enter visa-free or with visa on arrival. The country with the highest welcoming score is the most welcoming country in the world.

World Openness Score

The World Openness Score is a measure that reflects the travel openness between countries. It has grown from 17,904 to 18,680 between 2015 and August 2017. On 21 November 2018 it had reached 20,189.

Global Mobility Score

The Global Mobility Score is a benchmark that shows an individual's level of freedom of global mobility reflecting one or more passports in their possession. Higher scores reflect increased freedom of mobility.

Ranking

• Global Passport Power Rank: World's passports are ranked by their total visa-free score. Countries that share equal visa-free scores, are sorted by the number of visa-free countries portion of that score.
• Individual Passport Power Rank: Data from the latest UN Human Development Index is used to further break the ties and order the countries in unique ranks.^[6]
• Welcoming Countries Rank: The Passport Index ranks countries by how welcoming they are to other nationalities.

Results

Passport Index rankings are in real-time and continue to vary as new changes to visa agreements are made. For the most part, the Top 10 places have been occupied by European countries with the exception of Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

Between 2017 and 2018, at top of the list with a visa-free score of 165 were Singapore and Germany, while the United States of America, South Korea, France, Denmark and Sweden were among the 11 countries that shared the second spot with a score of 164. The UAE passport now takes first place with a visa-free score of 179, in 2024.^{[9] [10]}

Table

Scores and rankings are from the 2022 World Openness Score.^{[11] [12]}

Country	Score	Rank
Afghanistan	38	101
Albania	115	47
Algeria	64	81
Andorra	157	13
Angola	63	82
Antigua and Barbuda	140	26
Argentina	160	12
Armenia	77	68
Australia	171	4
Austria	173	2
Azerbaijan	80	65
Bahamas	146	21
Bahrain	96	53
Bangladesh	49	96
Barbados	152	17
Belarus	91	57
Belgium	172	3
Belize	98	52
Benin	68	77
Bhutan	66	79
Bolivia	85	61
Bosnia and Herzegovina	118	46
Botswana	86	60
Brazil	161	11
Brunei	153	16
Bulgaria	167	8
Burkina Faso	67	78
Burundi	58	87
Cambodia	69	76
Cameroon	59	86
Canada	170	5
Cape Verde	75	70
Central African Republic	61	84
Chad	62	83
Chile	160	12
China	83	62
Colombia	136	29
Comoros	63	82
Congo	57	88
Congo (Dem. Rep.)	55	90
Costa Rica	141	25
Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)	67	78
Croatia	167	8
Cuba	78	67
Cyprus	167	8
Czech Republic	171	4
Denmark	172	3
Djibouti	60	85
Dominica	132	33
Dominican Republic	81	64
Ecuador	101	51
Egypt	65	80
El Salvador	128	36
Equatorial Guinea	65	80
Eritrea	52	93
Estonia	169	6
Eswatini	79	66
Ethiopia	53	92
Fiji	96	53
Finland	173	2
France	173	2
Gabon	68	77
Gambia	72	73
Georgia	125	39
Germany	173	2
Ghana	72	73
Greece	171	4
Grenada	135	30
Guatemala	128	36
Guinea	64	81
Guyana	93	55
Haiti	63	82
Honduras	129	35
Hong Kong	156	14
Hungary	171	4
Iceland	168	7
India	73	72
Indonesia	85	61
Iran	51	94
Iraq	40	99
Ireland	172	3
Israel	151	18
Italy	173	2
Jamaica	96	53
Japan	171	4
Jordan	65	80
Kazakhstan	88	59
Kenya	74	71
Kiribati	124	40
Kosovo	56	89
Kuwait	105	50
Kyrgyzstan	72	73
Laos	63	82
Latvia	169	6
Lebanon	55	90
Lesotho	82	63
Liberia	60	85
Libya	50	95
Liechtenstein	168	7
Lithuania	170	5
Luxembourg	173	2
Macao	138	27
Madagascar	67	78
Malawi	78	67
Malaysia	165	9
Maldives	94	54
Mali	63	82
Malta	170	5
Marshall Islands	124	40
Mauritania	64	81
Mauritius	135	30
Mexico	150	19
Micronesia	120	44
Moldova	121	43
Monaco	163	10
Mongolia	76	69
Montenegro	126	38
Morocco	77	68
Mozambique	66	79
Namibia	80	65
Nauru	90	58
Nepal	55	90
Netherlands	173	2
New Zealand	172	3
Nicaragua	122	42
Niger	64	81
Nigeria	55	90
North Korea	50	95
North Macedonia	128	36
Norway	172	3
Oman	92	56
Pakistan	46	92
Palau	119	45
Palestinian Territories	50	95
Panama	133	32
Papua New Guinea	83	62
Paraguay	137	28
Peru	145	22
Philippines	76	69
Poland	172	3
Portugal	172	3
Qatar	109	48
Romania	167	8
Russian Federation	124	40
Rwanda	70	75
Saint Kitts and Nevis	143	24
Saint Lucia	136	29
Samoa	128	36
San Marino	155	15
Sao Tome and Principe	72	73
Saudi Arabia	92	56
Senegal	67	78
Serbia	136	29
Seychelles	141	25
Sierra Leone	68	77
Singapore	170	5
Slovakia	170	5
Slovenia	169	6
Solomon Islands	131	34
Somalia	44	98
South Africa	106	49
South Korea	173	2
South Sudan	53	92
Spain	173	2
Sri Lanka	55	90
Sudan	54	91
Suriname	85	61
Sweden	173	2
Switzerland	173	2
Syria	39	100
Taiwan	134	31
Tajikistan	69	76
Tanzania	72	73
Thailand	94	54
Togo	64	81
Tonga	124	40
Trinidad and Tobago	138	27
Tunisia	83	62
Turkey	123	41
Turkmenistan	63	82
Tuvalu	127	37
Uganda	71	74
Ukraine	145	22
United Arab Emirates	177	1
United Kingdom	171	4
United States of America	172	3
Uruguay	147	20
Uzbekistan	72	73
Vanuatu	98	52
Vatican City	145	22
Venezuela	124	40
Vietnam	69	76
Yemen	45	97
Zambia	74	71
Zimbabwe	68	77

Case studies

United Arab Emirates

In 2017, The Passport Index was assigned to monitor the development of the newly launched UAE Passport Force Initiative, with the aim to position the Emirati passport on the list of the five most powerful passports in the world by 2021. By 31 October 2018, the Emirati passport had already reached fourth place.^[13]

However in 2021, the passport's power trend dropped secondary to the COVID pandemic.^[14]

Background

The Passport Index was launched by Arton Capital, a financial services firm with a head office in Montreal, Canada, in 2014.^{[15] [16] [17]}

See also

• Henley Passport Index

External links

• Official site

Notes and References

1. News: The Passport Index: Which countries are easy to visit? . . 2017-03-05 . 2017-09-27.
2. Web site: Where does Canada rank on the list of world's most powerful passports?. Lagerquist. Jeff. February 21, 2018. CTVnews.
3. Web site: These Countries Have the Most Powerful Passports in the World. Greenspan. Rachel. September 6, 2018.
4. News: A ranking of the world's 'most powerful' passports. Swanson. Ana. The Washington Post. April 15, 2015.
5. News: World Openness Score . Arton Capital. 2018-08-16.
6. Web site: Singapore now offers the world's most powerful passport. Cripps. Karla. 25 October 2017. CNN.
7. Web site: PH passport is 67th most 'powerful' in the world. January 11, 2018. CBN News.
8. Web site: Countries With the Most Powerful Passports for Travel. Trimble. Megan. October 25, 2017. US News. https://web.archive.org/web/20171026140932/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-10-25/passports-from-these-countries-are-the-most-powerful-for-travel. 2017-10-26. dead.
9. Web site: World Openness Score - Visa-Free Trends Passport Index 2022 . 2022-11-16 . Passport Index - Global Mobility Intelligence . en.
10. Web site: Classificação global de poder do passaporte 2024 Passport Index 2024 . 2024-02-18 . Passport Index - Global Mobility Intelligence . pt.
11. Web site: World Openness Score - Visa-Free Trends Passport Index 2022 . 2022-11-18 . Passport Index - Global Mobility Intelligence . en.
12. Web site: Global Passport Power Rank 2022 Passport Index 2022 . 2022-11-18 . Passport Index - Global Mobility Intelligence . en.
13. Web site: 31 October 2018 . UAE passport now world's 4th most powerful . Khaleej times.
14. Web site: Passport Index Trend. Passport Index. 4 March 2021.
15. News: Die besten Pässe für Vielreisende. 16 April 2014. Der Spiegel. de.
16. News: Caline Malek . UAE awarded for having most powerful passport in GCC . . 2017-08-31 . 2017-09-27 .
17. News: Khalil . Edin . UAE passport ranks number one globally . 4 August 2022 . www.gulftoday.ae.