How Powerful Is Your Passport?

A passport from a country with a good relationship with others is a powerful tool, allowing you to travel across borders easily.

The ranking displays which passports give you the best mobility, depending on how many countries you can visit without a visa, or by getting one when you arrive. Developed countries with strong economies do well. In first place are U.S. and U.K. passports, which give holders access to 147 countries.

Passports from the world’s largest population, China, offer easy access to 74 countries. Indian passport holders aren’t so lucky, with 59 destinations. A Russian passport gives 98 country options. Visitors to countries with not such a good relationship may have to give entry and exit information, an invitation letter, details about where they are staying during the trip, as well as paying a large fee. Mistakes could result in the application process being prolonged, or even rejected.