Japanese passport vs Canadian passport: which is stronger?

The Japanese passport is stronger: it reaches 162 destinations without an embassy visit, 3 more than the Canadian passport (159). The Japanese passport ranks 12 of 197 and the Canadian passport ranks 24.

The Japanese passport: 162 (115 visa-free, 38 on arrival, 9 eTA). The Canadian passport: 159 (115 visa-free, 37 on arrival, 7 eTA). Both count the 196 other sovereign countries.

The Japanese passport can enter 6 countries without an embassy visit that the Canadian passport cannot, among them Vietnam, China, India, Azerbaijan, Iran and Venezuela. The Canadian passport can enter 3 countries without an embassy visit that the Japanese passport cannot, among them Burkina Faso, Gambia and Somalia. Both passports can enter 155 of the same countries without an embassy visit. The two home countries are left out of these counts.

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.