The Caporaso & Partners Index of the world's best passports in 2022 has once again ranked the Japanese passport as number 1. The Japanese passport grants freedom of travel to 193 nations.
Two other Asian passports complete the podium: those of Singapore and South Korea allow visa-free entry to 192 countries.
They are followed by European nations. The passports of Germany and Spain, for example, allow entry to 190 countries. Meanwhile, the passports from Finland, Italy and Luxembourg do not require a visa to enter 189 countries. Next on the list are the passports of Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, which offer free entry to 188 countries.
The experts at Caporaso & Partners have identified that the worst passports in the world, as of 2022, are those issued by Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. In the case of the Taliban-ruled country, its citizens have visa-free entry to only 27 nations. For their part, Iraqis can only enter 29 countries and Syrians 30.
The five best and worst passports in Latin America and the Caribbean
According to the Caporaso & Partners Index, the best passports in Latin America and the Caribbean, as of 2022, are from Chile (174 destinations, no visa required), Argentina (170 countries), Brazil (170), Barbados (163) and Mexico (159).
The Chilean passport maintained its strength despite the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the travel industry hard for almost two years. This passport, for example, does not require a Schengen visa to enter the European area. In addition, it is not necessary to request permission to enter other European countries that are not part of the Schengen area, such as Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Monaco.
The Brazilian passport has been gaining momentum since 2017. As of July 2022, it allows visa-free entry to countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Argentine passport also allows entry to 170 countries. Argentina was among the first to implement the biometric passport a decade ago.
Among the five worst passports in Latin America and the Caribbean are, in descending order: Jamaica (65 countries that can be entered without a visa), Bolivia (69 countries), Dominican Republic (78), Cuba (82) and Haiti (97).
Both Haiti and Cuba are in the midst of a deep economic crisis, aggravated by the pandemic. As a result, emigration of their citizens has increased. This has led several countries to increase their restrictions to allow the entry of Cubans and Haitians.
