Q TRAVEL – The nationality of your passport can have a major effect on your travel plans and time abroad. While it could be the ultimate ticket to the world for some countries, yet for many others, it could be a burden that restricts and even bans them to travel to dozens of countries across the globe.
Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index reveals the world’s most powerful passports for 2016. Compared to the 2015 rankings there are slight changes at top of the list. You can see last year’s rankings from here.
Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom that their citizens enjoy. Since 2006, the Index has been produced in collaboration with IATA, which maintains the world’s largest database of travel information.
While in 2015 Germany and United Kingdom shared the top rank, in 2016 Germany continues to save its position at the top place. Sweden came second. However, UK ranked at third place; sharing the rank with Finland, France, Italy, and Spain.
Costa Rica dropped 3 spots in 2016 over 2015, ranking 33rd for 2016 over 30th for 2015; and 10 spots in the past decaded: ranking 23rd in 2006.
The 2016 Ranking
1 – Germany
2 – Sweden
3 – Finland
3 – France
3 – Italy
3 – Spain
3 – United Kingdom
4 – Belgium
4 – Denmark
4 – Netherlands
4 – United States
5 – Austria
5 – Japan
5 – Singapore
6 – Canada
6 – Ireland
6 – Luxembourg
6 – Norway
6 – Portugal
6 – South Korea
6 – Switzerland
7 – Greece
7 – New Zealand
8 – Australia
9 – Malta
10 – Czech Republic
10 – Hungary
10 – Iceland
11 – Slovakia
12 – Liechtenstein
12 – Malaysia
12 – Slovenia
13 – Latvia
14 – Estonia
14 – Lithuania
15 – Poland
16 – Monaco
17 – Cyprus
18 – San Marino
19 – Chile
20 – Hong Kong
21 – Brazil
21 – Bulgaria
21 – Romania
22 – Andorra
22 – Argentina
23 – Brunei Darussalam
24 – Croatia
25 – Israel
26 – Barbados
27 – Bahamas
28 – Mexico
29 – Taiwan
29 – Uruguay
30 – Antigua & Barbuda
30 – Vatican City
31 – Seychelles
32 – St. Kitts & Nevis
32 – Venezuela
33 – Costa Rica
34 – Trinidad & Tobago
35 – Mauritius
36 – Panama
37 – Paraguay
37 – St. Lucia
37 – St. Vincent & Grenadines
38 – United Arab Emirates
39 – Grenada
40 – Macao
41 – Dominica
41 – Honduras
42 – Guatemala
43 – El Salvador
43 – Serbia
44 – Samoa
45 – Macedonia
46 – Nicaragua
46 – Tonga
46 – Vanuatu
47 – Montenegro
48 – Russian Federation
49 – Palau
50 – Colombia
51 – Turkey
52 – Bosnia & Herzegovina
52 – Moldova
53 – Albania
54 – South Africa
55 – Belize
56 – Peru
56 – Solomon Islands
57 – Guyana
57 – Kuwait
57 – Timor-Leste
57 – Tuvalu
58 – Ecuador
58 – Fiji
58 – Ukraine
59 – Maldives
59 – Nauru
60 – Kiribati
60 – Marshall Islands
60 – Qatar
61 – Jamaica
62 – Papua New Guinea
63 – Micronesia
64 – Suriname
65 – Bahrain
66 – Bolivia
66 – Botswana
67 – Oman
67 – Thailand
68 – Namibia
69 – Lesotho
69 – Saudi Arabia
70 – Kenya
71 – Belarus
71 – Gambia
71 – Georgia
71 – Kazakhstan
71 – Malawi
71 – Swaziland
72 – Tanzania
72 – Tunisia
73 – Ghana
74 – Zambia
75 – Azerbaijan
76 – Cape Verde
76 – Philippines
77 – Uganda
78 – Benin
78 – Cuba
78 – Morocco
78 – Zimbabwe
79 – Indonesia
79 – Kyrgyzstan
80 – Armenia
81 – Burkina Faso
81 – Cote d’Ivoire
81 – Mongolia
82 – Mauritania
82 – Niger
82 – Senegal
82 – Togo
83 – Dominican Republic
83 – Sao Tome & Principe
84 – Tajikistan
85 – India
85 – Mali
85 – Uzbekistan
86 – Bhutan
86 – Guinea-Bissau
86 – Mozambique
86 – Sierra Leone
87 – Cambodia
87 – China
88 – Chad
88 – Egypt
88 – Gabon
88 – Turkmenistan
89 – Algeria
89 – Central African Republic
89 – Haiti
89 – Madagascar
89 – Rwanda
90 – Comoros
90 – Jordan
90 – Laos
90 – Vietnam
91 – Guinea
92 – Angola
92 – Cameroon
92 – Equatorial Guinea
92 – Nigeria
93 – Congo
93 – Djibouti
94 – Liberia
95 – Burundi
95 – Myanmar
95 – North Korea
96 – Bangladesh
96 – Lebanon
96 – Sri Lanka
97 – South Sudan
97 – Yemen
98 – Eritrea
98 – Ethiopia
98 – Iran
98 – Nepal
98 – Palestinian Territory
98 – Sudan
99 – Libya
100 – Syria
101 – Somalia
102 – Iraq
103 – Pakistan
104 – Afghanistan
