Fast forward to 2024. According to the just-released Latitude World Passport Index, the US passport isn't even ranking in the top 10 most powerful passports in the world. In fact, there are 39 more powerful passports ranked ahead of the US passport in the new analysis.
The most powerful passport, according to the index, is the United Arab Emirates passport. UAE citizens can enter 124 countries visa-free, 37 with visa on arrival, 21 with an eVisa, and 16 with a visa required. Seven countries tied for second place in the ranking, with access to 126 countries visa-free, 30 with visa on arrival, 24 with eVisa, and 18 with visas required. Those countries are:
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Sweden
Down, in a tie with Liechtenstein behind 39 other countries, is the United States passport. US citizens can enter 116 countries without a visa, 37 with a visa upon arrival, 21 with an eVisa, and 24 other countries require a visa. That's not too surprising then, that Latitude reports that more Americans are seeking out a secondary passport—demand has been on the rise in the last decade. According to Forbes, 40% of Americans were eligible for dual citizenship in 2022. The publication also reported that getting a second citizenship is an expensive process, which is predominantly sought out by wealthy people.
The most sought-after passport is surprisingly not the top-ranked UAE passport, according to Latitude.
"While the UAE may hold the top position in our passport rankings, reflecting its global connectivity, we're not seeing the same surge of interest, which we’re seeing towards Spain," Christopher Willis, managing director of Latitude Consultancy, said in a statement to Thrillist. "Despite being ranked lower, the Spanish passport is highly sought after, drawing individuals with its promise of a vibrant lifestyle, cultural richness, and favorable climate."
Latitude is just one company that offers a passport power ranking—another popular one is from Henley & Partners. In that ranking, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain are ranked as the world's most powerful passports. Both companies specialize in citizenship and migration services, and are getting a firsthand look at which countries people are interested in obtaining secondary passports from.
Don't have even one passport yet? That's OK too. There are plenty of beautiful places you can travel as a US citizen, no passport necessary. If you are feeling the lure of some far off destination that crosses all of those man-made borders and you need to get a passport, don't worry—wait times have decreased dramatically in recent months.
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