Passport Power! ... Who knew?

[kenny]

Apparently the "power" of a country's passport is determined by how many other countries lets those citizens into theirs without a visa. (see fine print in link below)

Currently, the top honor goes to Singapore, and in last place is Afghanistan.
SNIP: "Singapore has taken first place on the latest Henley Passport Index 2023 rankings."


Nine years ago USA and UK were #1.
But now an American passport is "weaker" than those of 27 other nations.

I can't help but suspect a nation's passport power is a reflection of that country's global image.
... sort of a global beauty pageant (sans the bikini competition) for good behavior.

The source is an interesting read:

Most powerful passports: How do countries in Europe compare?

The world’s most powerful passport has changed for the first time in five years.

www.euronews.com

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

this makes the news here on a regular basis
this is a broader way of measuring rather than it just being a popularity contest
take a look at the link
it mostly just reflects how many countries the holder doesnt need a visa for

Passport of United States of America | Rank = 8 | Passport Index 2025 | How powerful is yours?

The passport of United States of America is ranked 8 in the world by the 2025 Passport Index. Citizens can visit 170 countries visa-free. Explore the world's favorite interactive mosaic of passports curated, sorted and ranked. Not all passports are made equal. How powerful is yours?

www.passportindex.org

i thought the British one was red

 

[Karl_K]

Over time the US has put more restrictions on visa free travel and other countries usually over time mirror the US policy going the other way. Then it changes over time, action and reaction.
Not really anything new.

 

[dk168]

All these talks about free travel without visas, thanks for the reminder that I need to get a e-visa for my trip to Canada soon, and have set a calendar reminder for this task!

DK

 

[kenny]

Wouldn't it be interesting to be a fly on the wall when big shots around the world discuss which other countries need visas to enter their country, and why?

Do you suppose any palms are getting "greased"?

 

[Dextechem]

Well, what can we do if the passport power shifts over the years—it really does seem like a country’s “reputation score.”