The Estonian passport is the 12th most powerful one in the world, granting visa-free access to 181 countries and territories, according to the 2022 Henley Passport Index.
In 2022, Estonia was ranked tenth, but the number of countries and territories stayed the same. Last year, Estonia shared its rank with Latvia and Slovenia; however, in the 2023 index, Latvia and Slovenia are ranked 11th with visa-free access to 182 countries.
The most powerful passport in the world is Japan’s (193 countries), followed by Singapore and South Korea (192), Germany and Spain (190), Finland, Italy and Luxembourg (189), and Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden (188).
However, the number of countries any given passport gives visa-free access to is somewhat inflated as it lists Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam as separate countries – even though they’re territories of the United States and their entry requirements are the same as the rest of the US’s.
Lithuania is ranked 10th in the 2023 index (183 countries) and Russia 49th (118).
The worst passports in the world are Afghanistan’s (ranked 109th, 27 countries), Iraq’s (108th, 29) and Syria’s (107th, 30).
The index, compiled yearly by the London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, Henley & Partners, is based on the data provided by the International Air Transport Association – known as IATA – and the company has been compiling it since 2006.
As an Estonian citizen who worked in Law-Enforcement for both the USA and Estonia, years ago having worked representing US Customs As a Senior US Army Military Police Customs Inspector in Germany, I recognize the power of wordage on passports.
The Estonian government can further improve the protections of non Diplomat Estonian passport holders by bring back wordage that was once used and is now omitted from the latest Estonian passports.
This important inhansing protective wordage used to be in the general issue Estonian Passport and is now only found in Estonian Official and Diplomatic Possports.
“The holder of this passport is under the protection of the Republic of Estonia. The Government of the Republic of Estonia hereby requests all civil and military authorities to permit the holder of this passport to pass freely without let or hindrance and in case of need to give all lawful aid and protection”.