Any international traveler or semi-intelligent person over the age of 10 (who is not Mos Def) knows that if you want to travel to another country (legally, anyway), you need a passport. You might not think about it while you’re trudging through customs praying for a quickly moving line and a nearby bathroom after a long flight, but the passport you throw down at the counter may carry more or less weight than you think. Passports actually have an international power index that’s based on how much they cost to issue, how easy they are to obtain and how many countries they’ll get you into without a visa. On the low end of the spectrum, passports from places like Palestine and South Sudan will only get you into 28 of the UN’s recognized 206 countries. That’s … not good. Here, in ascending order, are the countries on the opposite end of the scale, the heavy hitters, the 15 most powerful passports in the world, according to a recent GoEuro study.
15. Norway
First on the list is Norway, a country that is at once both stunningly beautiful and stunningly boring, it understands the needs of its citizens to travel abroad from time to time. A Norwegian passport gains a holder access to 171 countries without a visa for the bargain price of $59 US.
14. Italy
Next up is Italy, a country that’s so renowned for its earthly delights we’re surprised anyone wants to ever leave it. An Italian passport will get you in the door of 172 countries visa-free but will cost about $135 US, which is pretty pricey.
13. Japan
For only slightly less than an Italian passport, the island nation of Japan charges $115 US for a passport that works in 172 countries without a visa. With the declining yen, leisure trips abroad aren’t all that feasible for the average Japanese citizen, so passport applications have gone down in recent years.
12. France
The French passport is at number 12 on this list. It’s still a pretty powerful travel document, especially as French citizens can live and work in any country within the EU as well as travel to 172 countries without the hassle of obtaining a visa. However, it costs $100 US which is a little pricier than other nations.
11. The Netherlands
A Dutch passport is mad cheap at only $78 US and it’ll get you access to 172 countries without a visa. Honestly, though, if you had access to some of the world’s most beautiful architecture, an entire building stocked with van Gogh paintings and one of the finest selections of herb known to mankind, why would you want to leave?
10. Portugal
The Portuguese passport is next up, available for a reasonable $76 US and allowing access to 172 countries visa-free. Like a lot of the European passports, citizens can also freely live, work and move throughout the European Union.
9. Belgium
On par with Portugal, Belgium’s passport will get you entry to 172 countries without a visa at the cost of $76 US, which is solid. However, living in the land of castles (more per square kilometer than any other country) plus the world’s best chocolate and beer, you might just want to stay put.
8. Spain
Spain is begging their people to travel abroad. Allowing entry to 172 countries without a visa for an astonishing $30 US, the Spanish government really encourages its citizens to travel abroad. Or maybe they understand the natural allure their country holds and they’re just not worried about it. The country is usually among the world’s most visited year after year.
7. Canada
Moving up a notch on the list is our genial neighbor to the north. A Canadian passport grants access to 173 countries without a visa, but costs $120 US – pretty steep, but it’s valid for 10 years. About 60 percent of Canadians hold a passport, but that might be because most of them want to head to warmer climates during the long winters.
6. Denmark
Denmark offers access to 173 countries without a visa, and it only costs $95 US. Denmark often tops the list on the World Happiest Report. Their citizens are content to live there, but they still like to travel abroad, too.
5. United States
The United States passport is a powerful one, letting people access 174 countries without a visa – that’s the most you can get. However, it cost $135 US ($110 US for a renewal) for the privilege and only 36 percent of us bother to get one. Is that because we’re such a great nation, why bother to leave? Or are we just not open-minded enough to travel much?
4. United Kingdom
Another solid passport goes to citizens of the United Kingdom, who can get access to 174 countries without a visa for a cost of about $100 US, giving them a slight edge over Americans.
3. Germany
Germany allows its citizens access to 174 countries without a visa with its powerful passport. Even better, it only costs $69 US. Plus, they get to live and work all across the EU, no problem.
2. Finland
Finland’s passport is a straight up deal. Citizens can get access to 174 countries without a visa and it only costs $56 US. Not only that, Finland ranks high in areas like education, environmental quality, subjective well-being, housing, personal security and work-life balance. Too bad the weather’s a downer.
1. Sweden
For only $43 US, Swedish citizens can travel freely to 174 countries without a visa, not to mention live, work, study and move freely throughout the European Union. This makes it the most powerful and beneficial passport in the world. And the Swedes take full advantage of it. With an average of five weeks’ annual vacation, many citizens enjoy the pleasures of international travel.
