The Pyeongchang Games isn’t the only occasion for Canada to compete on the international stage these days. According to a global survey released on Tuesday, the Canadian passport strengthened modestly against its travel document rivals last year.
The Passport Index, compiled by Montreal-based financial firm Arton Capital, measures the number of nations where each passport guarantees visa-free travel. Canada’s passport ranked fifth, up from sixth last year. The jump puts Canadian travel access on par with the U.S., Switzerland and Ireland.
Five countries waived visa requirements for Canadian passport holders in 2017, boosting Canada’s visa-free score to 158. Canada sat in sixth place in both 2016 and 2015.
South Korea jumped to the top of the latest ranking with visa-free access to 162 countries, tying last year’s winner, Singapore (162). Germany and Japan were close runners-up with 161. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy, France, and Spain placed third with 160. Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, and the U.K. took fourth place with 159.
European countries, particularly Germany, have historically dominated the list. Arton Capital’s analysts took note of a recent foray of Asian nations into the top tiers of the ranking.
“We are currently seeing not one but two Asian countries with the most powerful passports in the world,” Arton Capital founder Armand Arton wrote in a release accompanying the data. “This is a testament to the increased global respect and trust Asian countries are commanding.”
Recent rank changes were mainly driven by Uzbekistan granting visa-free access to South Korea and Singapore, as well as recent adjustments to visa policies in Somalia, the analysts noted.
Afghanistan (26), Iraq (29), Pakistan (30), Syria (33), and Somalia (34) rounded out the bottom of the list.
