A Spanish passport opens doors

Holding a Spanish passport opens many doors—or, more precisely, many borders. Not only does it allow you to work in the vast majority of European countries, but it also enables you to travel around the world. The Spanish passport is the third-highest-ranked passport in the world, according to a study by the consulting firm Henley & Partners in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This ranking is based on the answer to a simple question: How many countries can you travel to without a visa as of January 1 of this year? To answer this question, the requirements of 219 countries and territories were taken into account; for each destination that did not require a special document, the passport under review earned one point.

Based on these criteria, the study concludes that German is the best nationality for traveling the world. It scored 177 points, just one more than the Swedes. Third place, with 175 points, is tightly contested: Spain, France, Italy, Finland, and the United Kingdom. Taking the bronze medal with 174 points are the Belgians, Danes, Dutch, and Americans—the first non-European nations in the rankings. Because being born on the Old Continent is a major advantage when it comes to hopping on a plane and changing time zones. Of the 41 countries in the top twenty, only ten are not European.

In addition to the U.S., Japan and Singapore are tied for fifth place; Canada and South Korea are sixth, followed by New Zealand (seventh) and Australia (eighth). Malaysia ranks twelfth and Hong Kong twentieth; however, Chile (19th) stands out among the elite as the top Latin American country. The top twenty spots are occupied by all European Union members except Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia—the latest to join the club; the documents issued in Monaco (16) and tiny San Marino (18) carry more weight than those issued in Sofia, Bucharest, and Zagreb.

This curious ranking also suggests that being Andorran is “worth” more than being Israeli. The Principality’s residents score five points higher (152 to 147) and 18 points higher than Vatican City citizens. Because having a passport from the Holy See—no matter how much religious significance it holds—doesn’t make it any easier to travel around the world. A document from St. Peter’s (the square, of course) opens 134 borders—the same number as Antigua and Barbuda. Both countries are ranked 30th, just above the idyllic Seychelles and St. Kitts and Nevis. This Caribbean archipelago shares its ranking with turmoil-stricken Venezuela (32). Being a South African allows you to travel visa-free to 97 countries, while a Cuban passport grants access to only 58. North Koreans have it even tougher; they can travel—if they’re allowed to—to 42 countries without a visa. Libya, Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan bring up the rear in this ranking.

Source: La Verdad