Czech passport ranks among world’s most powerful, and it's getting stronger

At the start of 2019, holders of a Czech passport are able to visit a total of 183 countries without a visa – – ranking it among the world’s most powerful passports to hold.

According to new data from the 2019 Henley Passport Index, the Czech passport comes in at #8 in a list of top passports to hold based on the number of countries a holder is able to enter without a visa.

That number represents a small increase over three years ago, when the Czech Republic ranked #10 in the Visa Restrictions Index. In that study, the country tied with Hungary and Iceland at 167 countries.

In the most recent Henley Passport Index, the Czech is the lone country able to visit 183 countries in the eighth position on the list – two countries less than the UK and USA, and five less than France and Germany.

While holders of a US passport cannot visit Iran, Turkey, or Brazil without a visa, Czech passport holders can. The US passport, meanwhile, gets holders into Mongolia, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, and Australia, while Czechs require a visa.

Holders of a German passport, meanwhile, can enter all countries the Czech passport can without a visa, and additionally Australia, Vietnam, Guyana, Mongolia, and Namibia.

While the majority of the world’s strongest passports are in Europe, the top three are in Asia. Holders of a Japanese passport are able to visit 190 countries, while Singaporean and South Korean passport holders can enter 189 countries each.

These are the world’s best passports to hold according to the latest 2019 Henley Passport Index:

What are the world’s weakest passports?

At 30 countries accessible without a visa, the Iraq and Afghanistan passports are at the bottom of the Henley index, while Syria (32 countries), Somalia (32), and Pakistan (33) also rate low.