If you’re a proud Dutch passport owner, we’ve got a headline for you to send to your friends and family. The Dutch passport has landed among most powerful passports in the world.
According to the Global Passport Index, the Netherlands shares third place with countries such as Singapore, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, and more.
But what exactly are these rankings based on?
It all depends on the mobility score
No, someone didn’t just yeet some passports into a pool to see which floated the longest, the Global Passport Index bases its rankings on each passport’s mobility scores.
To generate this score, the index looks at the number of countries that can be easily accessed by a given passport. They look at factors such as:
- How many countries will let you travel visa-free
- How many countries require you to arrange a visa-on-arrival
- How many countries require you to have an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)
- And how many countries will issue you an eVisa within three days
These numbers are then added together to give each passport a mobility score. Easy.
What are the Dutch passport’s numbers?
Not to brag, but according to the Global Passport Index, a handy Dutch passport will grant you visa-free entry to no less than 131 countries.
Meanwhile, you will need to organise a visa on arrival for 43 countries, and you need a visa to travel to 24 countries.
Is 24 a high number? Sure, but just remember, if you hold a Dutch passport, you’re still super priviledged.
Others dropped in the rankings
Americans have yet another reason to wish they weren’t tied to the US. Thanks to a certain someone’s antics across the pond, the US passport has dropped to 9th place.
What has Trump got to do with it? Well, since the introduction of stricter US visa policies, other countries have decided to reciprocate and tighten the requirements for US passport holders to enter their borders, BNR reports.
It was also a rough year for Vanuatu, which saw its ranking plunge due to the EU and UK’s doubts about its “citizenship-by-investment” program.
And the bottom of the list? In 95th place sits Afghanistan, with Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan sitting in 94th, 93rd, and 92nd place respectively.
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