When it comes to crossing international frontiers, there’s one travel document that opens more doors than any other.
And it isn’t a U.S. passport.
German citizens, it seems, have the potential for the greatest mobility in the travel world.
With a German passport, travelers can enter 177 out of 218 countries and territories without a visa, according to the 2016 Visa Restrictions Index
he list, compiled annually since 2006 by London-based consulting firm Henley and Partners and the International Air Transport Association, ranks nations by how freely their citizens, unencumbered by immigration red tape, can explore the planet.
This year, it shows that citizenship of a superpower doesn’t carry the clout it once did.
The United States, which ranked first in 2014 and 2015, has now dropped to fourth place.
Immediately behind Germany, holding its position as runner-up for the second year running, is Sweden with visa-free access to 176 countries.
World’s best passports (by number of countries granting visa-free access)
1) Germany — 177
2) Sweden — 176
3) Finland, France, Italy, Spain, UK — 175
4) Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, U.S. — 174
5) Austria, Japan, Singapore — 173
6) Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland — 172
7) Greece, New Zealand — 171
8) Australia — 169
9) Malta — 168
10) Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland — 167
11) Slovakia — 165
12) Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Slovenia — 164
13) Latvia — 163
14) Estonia, Lithuania — 162
15) Poland — 161
16) Monaco — 160
17) Cyprus — 159
18) San Marino — 156
19) Chile — 155
20) Hong Kong — 154
World’s worst passports
94) Liberia — 43
95) Burundi, North Korea, Myanmar — 42
96) Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Sri Lanka — 39
97) Kosovo, South Sudan, Yemen — 38
98) Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Nepal, Palestinian Territory, Sudan — 37
99) Libya — 36
100) Syria — 32
101) Somalia — 31
102) Iraq — 30
103) Pakistan — 29
104) Afghanistan — 25
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