ExploPassport comparison · 2026 data
Spanish passport vs French passport: which is stronger?
The Spanish passport is stronger: it reaches 164 destinations without an embassy visit, 1 more than the French passport (163).
Side by side
| Measure | Spanish passport | French passport |
|---|---|---|
| World rank | 2 of 197 | 4 of 197 |
| Without an embassy visit | 164 | 163 |
| Visa-free | 125 | 125 |
| Visa on arrival | 31 | 30 |
| eTA | 8 | 8 |
| e-Visa | 18 | 18 |
| Visa required | 14 | 15 |
Counts are out of the other 196 sovereign countries. “Without an embassy visit” is visa-free, visa on arrival and eTA together.
Places the Spanish passport can enter without an embassy visit and the French passport cannot 1
Places the French passport can enter without an embassy visit and the Spanish passport cannot 0
None: every place the French passport reaches without an embassy visit is also open to the Spanish passport.
What both can enter
162 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 Spanish passport or the French passport?
The Spanish passport is stronger: it reaches 164 destinations without an embassy visit, 1 more than the French passport (163). The Spanish passport ranks 2 of 197 and the French passport ranks 4.
How many countries can the Spanish passport and the French passport enter without an embassy visit?
The Spanish passport: 164 (125 visa-free, 31 on arrival, 8 eTA). The French passport: 163 (125 visa-free, 30 on arrival, 8 eTA). Both count the 196 other sovereign countries.
Where can one passport go that the other cannot?
The Spanish passport can enter 1 country without an embassy visit that the French passport cannot, among them Nauru. There is no country that the French passport can enter without an embassy visit and the Spanish passport cannot. Both passports can enter 162 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.
Go deeper
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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.