The most powerful passport in the world in 2023

Last update: 21 July 2023

The world is wide open this year to Singaporean passport holders who now hold the most powerful international travel document. Currently ranked 1st place on the Guide Passport Index, the Singaporean passport is essentially the golden ticket for international mobility. Holders of a Singapore passport can travel to 193 international destinations visa-free, the highest number of countries allotted to any passport in 2023.

With a Singaporean passport, holders can travel to a variety of incredible places with visa-free access, visa-on-arrival, or electronic travel authorization (eTA). This includes all countries in the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, as well as destinations like Brazil, and Turkey. The world really is their oyster!

The Singaporean passport may top the list of most powerful passports this year, but it’s not the only one that is considered very strong in terms of international mobility. Notable passports include South Korea, the United Kingdom, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and Japan. For those with South Korean passports, there are 190 visa-free destinations accessible to them. Holders of British, Finnish, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, and Japanese passports can access 189 countries visa-free. Any one of these passports offers holders greater flexibility of travel and more access to the world than almost all other passports in the world.

While these ten passports are considered very desirable for increased ease of travel and international mobility, there are dozens of other strong passports that allow holders to travel all over the world. Here is a full list of the world’s most powerful passports in 2023.

The World’s Most Powerful Passports in 2023:

1. Singapore (193 visa-free destinations)

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2. South Korea, (190 visa-free destinations)

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3. United Kingdom, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Japan (189 visa-free destinations)

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Learn more information about Finland Passport Visa Free Countries

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Learn more information about Germany Passport Visa Free Countries List

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Learn more information about Italy Passport Visa Free Countries

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4. Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Denmark (188 visa-free destinations)

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5. USA, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Norway (187 visa-free destinations)

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Learn more information about Ireland Passport Visa Free Countries

Learn more information about Norway Passport Visa Free Countries

6. Australia, Portugal, Malta, Switzerland, New Zealand (186 visa-free destinations)

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7. Greece (185 visa-free destinations)

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8. Hungary, Czech Republic (184 visa-free destinations)

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9. Poland (183 visa-free destinations)

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10. Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Slovakia, Iceland (182 visa-free destinations)

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Based on this list, there are some subtle differences between passports even if they have access to the same number of visa-free destinations. For example, Dutch passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 188 travel destinations, distributed as follows: 146 destinations without a visa, 29 destinations with a visa on arrival, and 13 destinations with an eTA. Danish passport holders, on the other hand, can also travel to the same total of 188 countries, but the distribution differs slightly: 147 destinations without a visa, 29 destinations with a visa on arrival, and 12 destinations with an eTA. Even though there are nuances between what constitutes ‘visa-free’ access for each passport, the overall ranking of these passports remains the same in the context of the global ranking process.

The global ranking process depends on the ease with which holders can travel to international destinations. A passport is considered more powerful if it offers visa-free access to more destinations. Every country in the world has a visa policy in place for citizens from every other country to enter their borders. The ranking the passport receives is determined by the number of countries considered visa-free destinations for holders of that passport. The most powerful passports allow holders access to the most visa-free countries and are given the highest rankings.

Visa-free travel actually refers to destinations that a traveler can enter either visa-free or by obtaining a visa-on-arrival or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). Visa-free access refers to countries that allow a passport holder to enter with no visa at all. Visa-on-arrival destinations ask that the passport holder enters the country after obtaining a visa at the border or entry point. An eTA should be acquired online before traveling, but it is typically very straightforward and easy to obtain. 

The sum of these three criteria mentioned above is then used to rank the passport against all other international passports. Adding together the visa-free, visa-on-arrival, and eTA visa destinations results in a number that is assigned as a rank to the passport. Ranking all passports creates a comprehensive list that is then used to determine the strength of all passports in the world from strongest to weakest in terms of international mobility. This year, Singapore, as the passport with access to the most visa-free destinations, came out on top as the strongest passport in the world in 2023.

See the complete list of global passport rankings for 2023.