A Spanish passport is now the world’s best to have for international travel

12/15/23, 10:08 AM By Costas News Travel Photo Credit: Freepik

In a recent update, the VisaGuide.World Passport Index has declared the Spanish passport as the leading travel document among 199 passports worldwide. Boasting passport-free access to 43 countries and visa-free entry to 106 nations, the Spanish passport stands out for its unprecedented travel privileges.

Furthermore, Spanish passport holders benefit from entry with a travel authorization (eTA) to 11 countries, a visa on arrival to 30 nations, and online visa access to 18 countries. This places the Spanish passport at the pinnacle of global travel convenience, making it an ideal choice for travellers.

Following closely in the rankings, Singapore secures the second position, with Germany, Italy, and France rounding out the top five. Dion Pllana, a Global Travel Trends Analyst, notes that European passports, particularly those from EU and Schengen Area Member States, dominate the upper echelons of the passport power table, as reported by SchengenVisaInfo.com.

The VisaGuide.World Passport Index differentiates itself by offering a nuanced evaluation of passport strength. It goes beyond merely counting countries allowing visa-free entry and employs a meticulously crafted formula that considers various factors.

The index assigns different values to travel with a visa, e-visa, visa-on-arrival, passport-free, and visa-free, taking into account the destination's value, resulting in a unique score for each passport.

The top positions in the index are not solely occupied by EU and Schengen countries. Non-EU/Schengen nations within the top 40 include:
- Singapore (2nd)
- Japan (15th)
- South Korea (27th)
- United Kingdom (28th)
- New Zealand (29th)
- Australia (34th)
- Canada (38th)
- United Arab Emirates (39th)
- and the United States (40th).

VisaGuide.World emphasizes the accuracy of its passport index, which is updated at the beginning of every month to reflect the latest changes in visa and travel policies worldwide.