ExploPassport comparison · 2026 data
Italian passport vs British passport: which is stronger?
The Italian passport is stronger: it reaches 163 destinations without an embassy visit, 3 more than the British passport (160).
Side by side
| Measure | Italian passport | British passport |
|---|---|---|
| World rank | 4 of 197 | 20 of 197 |
| Without an embassy visit | 163 | 160 |
| Visa-free | 124 | 116 |
| Visa on arrival | 31 | 36 |
| eTA | 8 | 8 |
| e-Visa | 18 | 17 |
| 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 Italian passport can enter without an embassy visit and the British passport cannot 3
Places the British passport can enter without an embassy visit and the Italian passport cannot 0
None: every place the British passport reaches without an embassy visit is also open to the Italian passport.
What both can enter
159 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 Italian passport or the British passport?
The Italian passport is stronger: it reaches 163 destinations without an embassy visit, 3 more than the British passport (160). The Italian passport ranks 4 of 197 and the British passport ranks 20.
How many countries can the Italian passport and the British passport enter without an embassy visit?
The Italian passport: 163 (124 visa-free, 31 on arrival, 8 eTA). The British passport: 160 (116 visa-free, 36 on arrival, 8 eTA). Both count the 196 other sovereign countries.
Where can one passport go that the other cannot?
The Italian passport can enter 3 countries without an embassy visit that the British passport cannot, among them China, Honduras and Iran. There is no country that the British passport can enter without an embassy visit and the Italian passport cannot. Both passports can enter 159 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.