Canada's Passport Is Among The Most Powerful In The World But Others Are Getting Stronger

What's the best passport for travel? Some, it turns out, give residents more when it comes to access.

A new ranking of the world's strongest passports is out, and while Canada's ranked among some of the most powerful globally, other countries are getting even stronger.

The 2023 edition of the Henley Passport Index ranked 199 different passports from around the world and their access to 227 different travel destinations.

The ranking is based on how many countries a passport enables visa-free travel to, with the most powerful allowing for travel to 193 countries, while the least powerful only allows for travel to 27.

Canada's passport managed to retain its spot from last year, coming in at number eight on the list.

In the 2022 ranking, Canada tied for eighth alongside the Czech Republic, Greece, Malta and Australia, with each country's passport giving residents access to 185 destinations.

While Canada is in the same place this year, the Czech Republic notably advanced to seventh place in 2023, now giving residents access to 186 different destinations.

Although the Canadian passport was able to maintain its spot, it has previously placed much higher in the ranking.

Between 2016 and 2019, Canada's passport ranked sixth, while in 2015, it was listed in fourth place alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Spain.

At one point, the passport even ranked second-highest on the list, featured alongside Denmark in 2014.

But other countries are also seeing their passports climb the ranking. According to Henley & Partners, the United Arab Emirates' passport has climbed 49 places over the past 10 years, now sitting in 15th place and allowing residents to travel to 178 destinations.

Qatar and Kuwait, which currently sit in 55th and 57th place respectively, are likely to also climb the rankings, as the countries are set to sign a deal with the EU this year giving passport holders visa-free access to all 27 EU member states.