In today’s world, having a passport allows you the opportunity to travel and become a global citizen as the world gets more interconnected.
Having a passport is your ticket to the world and gives you the opportunity to travel and exposure to more work opportunities, and access to education if you choose to study abroad.
A passport is a document issued by a national government for international travel, and it certifies the identity and nationality of the holder, making travelling more convenient.
The purpose of a passport is to show other nations that you are a legal citizen of your particular nation of origin. Not all passports are created equally, and some have greater influence and perks to the holder.
The Passport Index ranks the world’s passports, and aims to showcase, educate and inform the public on the power passports transcend on the holder’s identity, opportunity, mobility and overall quality of life.
It’s an interactive passport ranking tool Invented and empowered by Arton Capital. It is the only real-time global ranking of the world’s passports, updated as frequently as new visa waivers and changes are implemented.
When it comes to the passports of the world, they are sorted by their total Mobility Score, which includes visa-free and visa-on-arrival privileges. The higher the MS score, the better global mobility its passport-bearer enjoys.
Here are the top five most powerful passports in the world, according to Global Passport Power Rank 2022.
Of course, some countries had a tie when it comes to the mobility score and has slight differences when it comes to the passport holder travelling visa-free or being required to present visa on arrival.
South Africa
South Africa ranked 46th on the power rank since a South African passport holder can travel to 65 countries visa-free, and 43 countries require visa on arrival.
A South African passport has a mobility score of 108 in the global rankings.
Here are the top five.
1. United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates has the best passport in the world. When it comes to rankings, UAE ranks as the most powerful passport in the world, with a Mobility Score of 173.
A UAE passport holder can travel to 181 countries visa-free, with 59 countries requiring a visa on arrival and 17 requiring a visa to enter.
2. Germany, Sweden, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, South Korea
All these countries have a mobility score of 174, making travel with these passports super efficient. Some of the countries on this list are in the Schengen Area, which signifies a zone where 26 European countries abolished their internal borders for the free and unrestricted movement of people, resulting in the Schengen Visa.
3. Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Norway, Poland, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America, New Zealand
Having tied for third place for countries with a global ranking of powerful passports, these countries have a mobility score of 173, making travel with these passports stress-free. Passport holders can travel between 127 to 117 countries allowing visa-free travel.
4. Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Australia
When it comes to the Global Passport Power Rank, these countries have a mobility score of 172, opening many gates for a passport holder of these countries. Passport holders from this group of countries ranked at 4th place on the index, and they can travel between 59 to 48 countries requiring visa on arrival.
5. Singapore, Malta, Lithuania, Slovakia, Canada
When it comes to the Global Passport Power Rank, Singapore, Malta, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Canada came in at 5th place.
These countries have a mobility score of 171, making travel with these passports easy. Passport holders can travel to 131 countries visa-free, while between 50 and 40 countries require visa-on-arrival for these countries.