The most "powerful" passports of 2021 (Italy comes close to the podium)
COme every year, at the beginning of the year, it is time for rankings. It starts with that of passports
Among the 2021 most powerful passports there is no Italian one. Or rather, it is not in the top three.
In this article:
Italy still comes close to the podium and is confirmed in fourth place, although Covid-19 has upset all plans. And the days of going to the airport, picking a flight at random and boarding are long gone.
What are the most powerful passports of 2021
If you are wondering what it means to have a "powerful" passport, it is quickly said. Strong passports are those that allow you to Travel to numerous countries without the need for a visa. Evaluating them each year is theHenley Passport Index which, also for 2021, has put the Japan.
To compile the list of the most powerful passports in 2021, the index did not take into account the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Japanese can enter 191 countries without the need for a visa. In second place comes Singapore (190 countries), in third the Germany and the South Korea (189). Italy ranks fourth, with access to 188 nationals on par with Finland, Spain and Luxembourg.
These, in detail, are the passports occupying the top ten positions:
- Japan (191 destinations)
- Singapore (190)
- South Korea, Germany (189)
- Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (188)
- Denmark, Austria (187)
- Sweden, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland (186)
- Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, New Zealand (185)
- Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Australia (184)
- Canada (183)
- Hungary (181)
I Asia Pacific passports (APAC) are climbing the rankings, slowly undermining the previously powerful U.S., U.K. and UAE. Experts, moreover, believe that APAC's strong position will continue because it is these states that will be the first to begin the post-pandemic recovery process.
In 2020, however, agreements between countries were few. Only the United Arab Emirates have signed several reciprocal visa-free pacts, including a historic agreement (brokered by the United States) establishing formal ties with Israel and granting citizens of the two countries visa-free access. Thus, while the UAE ranked 62nd in 2006, it now occupies the 16th position.
The Italian passport
There are 38 countries where a visa must be applied for before entering. Comparing the result with Germany, it is only one nation that makes the difference: it is Mongolia, where Italians (and not Germans) are required to have permission to enter.
In detail, of these 38 nations are 8 those that allow the visa to be obtained electronically, thus without going to an embassy or consulate, among them only recently has India been added. It is rumored that Russia may soon ease regulations by allowing many nationalities to obtain a visa on arrival, if so you can bet that there will be a real tourist boom in the area.
The weakest passports
Only a year ago, experts were giving global mobility rates a steady climb. It was thought that the freedom of travel would increase and that holders of powerful passports would have a wider range of choices than ever before. The blockade imposed by the pandemic has negated the predictions, and the ranking of the most powerful passports now makes more sense than ever. Having a passport that stands at the top of the ranking means that even if not all countries lift restrictions in the coming months, you will still have a good choice for your vacation.
After all, today's young people are socially aware, environmentally conscious and less nationalistic. They are probably the most mobile generation in human history. So here a passport that opens doors represents an important travel tool, an ambition, an achievement. And we Italians can say we are satisfied.
But what, in contrast, are the weaker passports? These are the last places in the rankings:
103. North Korea (39 destinations)
104. Libya, Nepal (38)
105. Palestinian territories (37)
106. Somalia, Yemen (33)
107. Pakistan (32)
108. Syria (29)
109. Iraq (28)
110. Afghanistan (26)
