Got a Dutch passport? Congrats! That maroon-coloured baby gives you access to 188 destinations, hassle-free.
The London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners has released its annual passport index — and the Netherlands is right up there this year ranking as the fourth most powerful in the world. 💪
The list’s purpose, which is based on exclusive travel data by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is to rank passports based on how travel-friendly the documents are per issuing country, reports CNN.
Note: The ranking doesn’t take travel restrictions into consideration. The accessibility is calculated based on a COVID-19 free world — one can dream. 🤞
Overwhelmingly European
The EU dominated the top chunk of the list for 2022, where the German passport (which grants access to 190 destinations) was two countries short of first runners Japan and Singapore with a score of 192 destinations.
France, the Netherlands, and Sweden are sharing the fourth spot with Austria and Denmark with a score of 188, while Ireland and Portugal ranked fifth with a score of 187.
READ MORE | How to get Dutch citizenship in 2022: becoming a Nederlander
Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland shared the ranks with the United States and the UK, coming in sixth place with easy access to 186 destinations.
Travel positive
In spite of the travel restrictions which restrained international mobility on many levels for the past couple of years, the firm confirms overall travel freedom.
While these travel freedoms are mainly enjoyed by Europe, North America and richer Asian nations, an individual can now visit 107 countries on average without applying for a visa in advance.
This number doubled since 2006, where it used to be 57 countries on average. 🤯
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Feature Image: Berend van Rossum/Unsplash
