ExploPassport comparison · 2026 data
French passport vs American passport: which is stronger?
The French passport is stronger: it reaches 163 destinations without an embassy visit, 6 more than the American passport (157).
Side by side
| Measure | French passport | American passport |
|---|---|---|
| World rank | 4 of 197 | 32 of 197 |
| Without an embassy visit | 163 | 157 |
| Visa-free | 125 | 114 |
| Visa on arrival | 30 | 36 |
| eTA | 8 | 7 |
| e-Visa | 18 | 20 |
| Visa required | 15 | 19 |
Counts are out of the other 196 sovereign countries. “Without an embassy visit” is visa-free, visa on arrival and eTA together.
Places the French passport can enter without an embassy visit and the American passport cannot 6
Places the American passport can enter without an embassy visit and the French passport cannot 0
None: every place the American passport reaches without an embassy visit is also open to the French passport.
What both can enter
156 countries are open to both passports without an embassy visit. The two home countries are not counted in these lists.
Compare with another passport
Questions
Which is stronger, the French passport or the American passport?
The French passport is stronger: it reaches 163 destinations without an embassy visit, 6 more than the American passport (157). The French passport ranks 4 of 197 and the American passport ranks 32.
How many countries can the French passport and the American passport enter without an embassy visit?
The French passport: 163 (125 visa-free, 30 on arrival, 8 eTA). The American passport: 157 (114 visa-free, 36 on arrival, 7 eTA). Both count the 196 other sovereign countries.
Where can one passport go that the other cannot?
The French passport can enter 6 countries without an embassy visit that the American passport cannot, among them Vietnam, China, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Iran and Venezuela. There is no country that the American passport can enter without an embassy visit and the French passport cannot. Both passports can enter 156 of the same countries without an embassy visit. The two home countries are left out of these counts.
How is passport strength measured here?
We count the other 196 sovereign countries a passport can enter with visa-free entry, a visa on arrival or an eTA. An e-Visa counts as a visa. The data is the open Passport Index dataset, last updated 18 February 2026. Other indexes count differently, so their rankings can differ, and rules change often, so check the official source before you book.
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Get ExploEntry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so treat this as a guide and check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book.