How freely you can travel in the world depends on your stated nationality based on the passport you carry. Some passports afford ease of travel by not requiring the traveler to first procure oftentimes onerous visas to travel to another country.
Countries With the Fewest Travel Restrictions
Countries are ranked by the total number of countries that allow visa free or automatic visas for its citizens. The most recent count puts the total number of countries in the world at 196.
The top three countries are Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Citizens from each of those countries allows easy travel to 173 countries around the world.
Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, and the United States are not far behind with 172 countries that allow visa free or visa on arrival for citizens. Most of the countries occupying the top 25 spots are wester European as well as Canada, Japan, and South Korea.
Countries With the Most Travel Restrictions
The country with the most travel restrictions is Afghanistan with only 28 countries that its citizens can travel freely to.
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Iraq is the second most restricted travel country for its citizens with only 31 countries that allow travel without a prior visa. Pakistan and Somalia (misspelled Somolia on the infographic) follow with 32 countries.
Infographic: “How Powerful Is Your Passport?”.
The magazine GOOD has put together an infographic that maps out the answer to “How Powerful Is Your Passport?”. Dark blue areas represent countries that are the most powerful, i.e. passport holders for those countries are able to travel visa free or are automatically issued a visa upon entry to other countries. The countries deemed the least powerful are shaded light orange.
More: How Powerful Is Your Passport.
References
“Global Ranking – Visa Restriction Index 2013-08” (PDF). Henley & Partners.
