A different country tops list of world's most powerful passports

For many decades, different organizations and ranking agencies have been assessing the strength or weakness of different nations' passports.

Evaluated on factors like the country's economy and likelihood that its citizens will want to remain in a wealthier nation illegally, a strong passport generally means that its holders are able to access a high number of countries with either no visa at all or a simple clearance that can be easily obtained online.

Related: A country just went visa-free for visitors with any passport

The latest ranking to come out was done by the Dubai-based tax and immigration consulting firm Nomad Capitalist. While the United Arab Emirates was selected as the most powerful passport last year, Switzerland pushed it out for that spot in 2024.

This is why the U.S. passport scored so low on this new ranking

This ranking assessed passports by five factors — while visa-free travel accounted for half of the score, factors such as taxation, global perception, ability to hold dual citizenship and citizen's rights and freedoms within that country were also weighted at either 20% for taxation and 10% for everything else.

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Due to the larger focus on business opportunities for non-citizens, Portugal and Ireland took a respective second and third place, while the United Arab Emirates slipped to sixth place which it tied with Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, Italy, New Zealand and Greece.

"Portugal tied with Ireland in all but personal freedom, emphasizing its steady appeal, while Finland — known for its vast visa-free travel options — now ranks fourth, highlighting the importance of global accessibility."

Several strong passports scored low on this ranking (here is why)

The United States, which a decade ago topped some passport rankings but has been steadily slipping amid worsening relations with a number of countries, scored a lowly 44th place in this one due to less newcomer-friendly immigration rules that make it difficult to welcome non-citizens interested in starting a business or otherwise living as “global citizens.”

Another strong passport that come out low in this particular ranking — in 50th place — was Hong Kong. While holders of this passport can access 140 countries visa-free, the stricter immigration rules impacted Hong Kong's standing in a ranking that prioritizes the ability to cross borders for business. 

Hong Kong's status as a Chinese administrative region also impacted its global perception score as countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have an increasingly strained relationship with China. The only non-EU countries to land in this ranking's top 10 were the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand. The next country on the list, the United Kingdom, tied for fourteenth place with the Czech Republic, Sweden and Malta.

"With Switzerland standing out as the world's best passport in 2024, our Nomad Passport Index shows global citizens how to open their lives to new opportunities, enhancing their freedom to travel, work, and do business with peace of mind in a volatile world," Nomad Capitalist strategy associate Natalia Rincón said in a statement. "These may be turbulent times, but global citizens can still go where they’re treated best — with the right information at their fingertips.”