Germany has the world's most powerful passport
According to Henley & Partners' Visa Restrictions Index, Germans hold the strongest passports, giving them visa-free access to 177 countries.
The European nation has held the index's top spot for three years in a row.
The index ranked 199 countries according to the travel freedom each offers its citizens out of a possible 218 countries, using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). According to the index, the IATA holds the largest database of travel information.
Nationalities were awarded points based on the number of other countries their citizens could travel to without a visa, as of January 1.
Sweden came in second place, with visa-free access to 176 countries. The United Kingdom, which held the top spot in the ranking from 2013 to 2015 (including twice tying Germany), came in third place along with Finland, France, Italy, and Spain, with 175 countries at passport holders' fingertips.
The United States dropped from second place in 2015 to fourth place this year, tied with Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, all of which offer access to 174 countries.
As for nations with the most limited travel, Afghanistan is ranked the worst in 104th place, with access to just 25 countries. Pakistan is second-worst, with travel permitted to 29 countries, and Iraq is third from the bottom, restricted to 30 other countries.
Here is the top 10:
Rank, country, visa-free access
- 1. Germany, 177
- 2. Sweden, 176
- 3. Finland, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, 175
- 4. Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, United States, 174
- 5. Austria, Japan, Singapore, 173
- 6. Canada, Ireland (Republic of), Korea (Republic of, South), Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, 172
- 7. Greece, New Zealand, 171
- 8. Australia, 169
- 9. Malta, 168
- 10. Hungary, Czech Republic, Iceland, 167
Take a look at the graphic showing the index findings, and download the complete ranking here.
- I spent 2 weeks in India. A highlight was visiting a small mountain town so beautiful it didn't seem real.
- I quit McKinsey after 1.5 years. I was making over $200k but my mental health was shattered.
- Some Tesla factory workers realized they were laid off when security scanned their badges and sent them back on shuttles, sources say
- Why are so many elite coaches moving to Western countries?
- Global GDP to face a 19% decline by 2050 due to climate change, study projects
- 5 things to keep in mind before taking a personal loan
- Markets face heavy fluctuations; settle lower taking downtrend to 4th day
- Move over Bollywood, audio shows are starting to enter the coveted ‘100 Crores Club’