Got a Canadian passport? Here's how it fares against other countries

If you’re Canadian and love to travel, chances are your Canadian passport has taken you on some pretty great adventures around the world.

However, according to a recent ranking released by Passport Index, it’s not exactly the most powerful passport.

The top spot goes to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Emiratis enjoying visa-free access to more than 120 countries, 59 countries with visas-on-arrival, and an impressive mobility score of 180.

Passport Index

Although the Canadian passport didn’t quite make it to the top ten, the little blue and gold travel document is still pretty impressive, with a mobility score of 170; that’s up by one point compared to a score of 169 in 2019. Canadian citizens can also enjoy visa-free access to 108 countries and visa-on-arrival in 55 countries. Overall, the Canadian passport has a world reach of 85%.

As for its passport power ranking, Passport Index gives Canada a five, a ranking that it shares with countries like Singapore, Malta, Lithuania, and Slovakia.

And most passports are also becoming more powerful.

Passport Index

Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, sanctions placed on Russian firms and individuals, and supply chain issues, passport power around the world has increased by an average of 16 points, according to a release by Passport Index.

“Whilst the removal of COVID-19 restrictions has certainly played a role, countries around the world have also been keen to reap the economic benefits offered by enabling greater freedoms of movement,” reads the release.

Becki Stone/Shutterstock

This is definitely great news for those “swapping the commute to the office for a life as a ‘digital nomad,'” many of whom are welcome in several countries for the investments that they bring into host countries.

According to Passport Index co-founder Hrant Boghossian, the rise in passport power is cause for optimism.

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“The world has surpassed the benchmark of ‘openness’ set prior to the pandemic, and there are strong indicators that this upward trend is here to stay,” states Boghossian.

“It is particularly encouraging to see such growth at a time of heightened geopolitical tension and economic turmoil, indicating that countries agree that a world with less borders has the potential to address some of the defining challenges of the 21st century.”

Click here to see how other passports rank.