Canada has one of the most powerful passports in the world

Jan 11 2022, 4:27 pm

Canada has made it on the top 10 list of the most powerful passports in the world.

Using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), the Henley Passport Index released its annual rankings today.

Canada ranked 7th on the list, along with Australia, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Malta.

The rankings are based on the number of destinations the passport holders can access without a prior visa.

A score of 1 is given if no visa is required, if you can get a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when landing at the destination. A score of 0 is given where a visa is required or where a passport holder has to get a government-approved electronic visa before departure.

While the report found that the global average number of countries that could be visited without having to get a visa rose to 107 from 57 in 2006, it also found a growing divide.

“This apparent progress is masking a growing divide in mobility — and the resulting access to opportunities — between citizens in the wealthy global north and those in the lower-income global south, which includes many fragile states,” stated the report.

It compared Japanese, Swedish, and US passport holders — who can visit more than 180 places without a visa — to passport holders of Angola, Cameroon, and Laos, who can only visit about 50.

The Canadian passport has gained access to an additional 60 destinations since 2006, bringing it up to 185 total in 2022.

Topping the list are Japan and Singapore, with access to 192 destinations, and Afghanistan is in last place with access to only 26 countries without a visa.

Isabelle DoctoIsabelle Docto

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