How powerful a passport is, is determined by the number of countries their holders can travel to visa-free. The ranking system awards a passport one point for each country it allows travel to without the need for a pre-obtained visa. Passports are also awarded a point if the bearer can obtain a visa on arrival, or a visitor’s permit or electronic travel authority. No points are awarded for destinations for which the traveller needs to obtain a visa, or government approval, before arriving in the country.
Here are the top 20 weakest passports in the world.
Rank | Passport issuing country | Visa-free destinations |
1. | Afghanistan | 27 |
2. | Iraq | 29 |
3. | Syria | 30 |
4. | Pakistan | 32 |
5. | Yemen | 34 |
6. | Somalia | 35 |
7. | Palestinian Territory | 38 |
8. | Nepal | 38 |
9. | North Korea | 40 |
10. | Libya | 41 |
11. | Kosovo | 41 |
12. | Bangladesh | 41 |
13. | Sudan | 42 |
14. | Sri Lanka | 42 |
15. | Lebanon | 42 |
16. | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 42 |
17. | Iran | 43 |
18. | South Sudan | 44 |
19. | Eritrea | 44 |
20. | Nigeria | 46 |
Ethiopia | 46 |