The Czech passport is one of the most powerful in the world

Czechia is ranked an impressive fifth in the world's most powerful passports, according to the 2023 Henley Passport Index.

Henley & Partners, the firm behind the index, bases its methodology on how many countries can be visited on a visa-free basis. It also factors in the country’s general diplomatic relations globally and its international agreements.

Countries with strong diplomatic ties and positive international relations often have powerful passports that offer their citizens extensive visa-free access to other countries.

The index, Henley & Partner’s website says, "is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association, which is the largest, most accurate travel information database."

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Photo of Czech passport / iStock: narvikk

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Almost 200 nations to visit freely

According to the index, people with a Czech passport can travel to 187 destinations completely visa-free. This includes the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Brunei, and Botswana. However, those with a Czech passport require a visa to visit Kenya, Ethiopia, and India, among others.

Czechia has seen an improvement in its ranking; in 2022 it was in eighth position. In 2013, it was ranked 12th, and in 2006 – the first year of the Henley Passport Index – it was ranked the 21st.

According to the Henley ranking, Singapore has the world’s most powerful passport. Germany, Italy, and Spain shared the second place, and Japan, which occupied the top spot in last year's index, is third.

Czechia's climb up the Henley Passport Index (Source: Henleyglobal.com)

Notably, the U.S. passport is ranked lower than Czechia’s, at eighth. Czechia also performs better than Australia, which is sixth. Among Czechia's neighbors, Austria is third, while Poland and Hungary share the sixth spot, and Slovakia is ninth.

In a separate study by travel service company Nomad Capitalist made this year, Czechia had the seventh-most powerful passport in the world. A different ranking released in January 2023 by travel service company Arton Capital put the Czech Republic in the fourth-best group, based solely on the number of countries that a person could visit.