How strong is your passport? What visa-free scores tell you

Passport rankings get headlines every year, and the numbers are real. A passport can open the door to well over 150 countries without a visit to an embassy, or to fewer than 30. Where you were born matters a great deal.

But a single score hides a lot. Here is what the number measures, how wide the gap is, and how to use the information without over-reading it.

What we counted

We used the open Passport Index dataset (by Ilya Ilyankou, MIT licence), last updated on 18 February 2026, which is the same data Explo shows in the app. It covers 197 passports. For each one we looked at the other 196 sovereign countries and counted how many you can enter without applying through an embassy: that means visa-free entry, visa on arrival, or an eTA (the quick online authorisation). We counted e-visas separately, because they need a full online application before you travel.

Our guide to visa-free, visa on arrival, eTA and e-visa explains each of these rules.

How wide the gap is

Across the 197 passports, the middle one can enter 85 countries without an embassy visit. The best score in this data is 166. At the other end, the lowest scores are in the 20s and 30s. That is a difference of more than 130 destinations, decided by the passport you hold and nothing else.

Here is how a few passports compare. All figures come from the dataset above, out of 196 possible destinations.

Two things stand out. First, many of the top passports are separated by a handful of countries, so the exact order matters less than the group. Second, the Singapore passport has the most fully visa-free destinations in this data (128), while a different passport tops the "no embassy visit" count, because it benefits more from visa on arrival and eTA countries.

Why rankings disagree

If you've seen your passport ranked differently elsewhere, that's normal. Rankings vary because of:

• What they count. Some treat an eTA as visa-free, some don't. Some count e-visas, many don't.
• Which destinations they include. Territories and disputed places change the total.
• The date. Entry rules change throughout the year, and a ranking is a snapshot.
• The source. Different datasets are built from different official and unofficial records.

What a score can't tell you

A high number means fewer forms in advance. It doesn't mean a smooth trip. A score cannot show you:

• How long the process takes. A visa on arrival can mean a long queue. An eTA can come back in minutes or take days.
• The conditions. Stay limits, passport validity rules and proof you may have to show.
• Whether the rules will hold. Agreements between countries change, sometimes quickly.
• Your own situation. Criminal records, previous visa refusals and your purpose of travel can all change the answer.

Entry rules change often. Treat any ranking as a guide to where you can go, and check the official source before you book.

How to use this information

If your passport is in the top group, you are rarely limited by paperwork, and the more useful questions are about season, price and time. If your passport is further down, the numbers explain why planning takes longer, and they point you to the places where it's easy: look at the visa-free and visa on arrival lists first, then the e-visa countries.

Either way, entry rules are one filter among several. Pair them with the time of year and your own priorities to turn a long wish list into a shortlist.

See your own passport in Explo

Open the Passport tab, tap Choose passport and select yours. Each country shows its rule and the days you may stay. The data covers 197 passports and is a starting point. See the full passport ranking or compare two passports side by side on the web, and confirm anything important with the official source, as described in how to check visa requirements before you book.