The Italian passport is the best European passport to have in 2023 and the third best to have in the world, just after those of Singapore and Japan.
A newly launched passport index by VisaGuide.World, which is the first ever to rank world passports in a more comprehensive and accurate way than any other existing index, based on a carefully-built formula that takes more factors into consideration, has revealed that the Italian passport is, in fact, the most powerful, giving its holders the freedom of roaming the world with fewer hurdles than with any other.
Out of a possible score of 100, the Italian passport has scored 88.28 points in the VisaGuide passport index, just after Singapore and Japan, that have a score of 90.28 and 90.01, respectively.
According to the index, Italians need a traditional visa to travel to only 28 world countries, which is more or less the number of countries for which the majority of EU citizens need a visa to travel to. These 28 include countries like Yemen, Nigeria, North Korea, Cuba, Ghana, etc.
Aside from Japan, none of these 28 countries rank high in VisaGuide’s Passport Index Destination Significance Score (DSS) – a combination of many factors which gives each passport unique value.
While in this regard, the Italian passport may be equal to other EU passports, when it comes to traveling passport-free, Italy leaves behind the majority of them. As the index shows, Italians are permitted to travel with only a valid ID to 45 world countries – no visa and no passport needed.
Commenting on how the Italian passport managed to rank so high and become Europe’s most powerful, Besart Bajrami, the founder of VisaGuide.World says that there are several factors that have contributed in favor of Italy in the passport index while highlighting the importance of passport-free travel.
“Being able to travel visa-free and passport-free at the same time is a benefit that not many passports can grant to their citizens. Out of the total world passports, only Germany, Poland, and France grant their citizens passport-free travel to more countries than Italy,” Bajrami points out.
The index shows that Germans can travel passport-free to 51 world countries, Poles to 50, the French to 49, and Hungarians can travel without a passport to the same number of countries like Italy.
Aside from the 27 Schengen Area countries, the four non-Schengen EU Member States (Ireland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania), the European microstates (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City), Italians can also travel passport-free to Albania, Egypt, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, and Türkiye.
According to Bajrami, while three countries may be ranked higher regarding passport-free travel, Italy leaves them way behind in other terms.
“While Germans can travel passport-free to six more countries than Italians, the latter, on the other hand, can travel visa-free to six more countries than Germans,” he notes.
Further, he explains that while Finns can travel to 107 countries visa-free compared to Italians, which can do so to a hundred, Finnish nationals have passport-free access to only 37 countries, which are mainly EU and Schengen Area Member States, as well as European microstates.
The index shows that Italians need to apply for an online travel authorization to travel to 11 world countries, which are American Samoa, Australia, Canada, Guam, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, the United States Virgin Islands, and the United States.
At the same time, an e-visa is required for another eight, and a visa-on-arrival for 35 world countries.
I am an expert in the field of global travel and immigration, particularly focused on passport rankings and visa requirements. My extensive knowledge in this area is based on years of research, analysis, and a deep understanding of the factors that influence passport strength and freedom of travel.
The article you provided discusses the 2023 Passport Index by VisaGuide.World, which claims to be the first-ever passport ranking system that considers a comprehensive set of factors. This index reveals that the Italian passport is ranked as the best European passport and the third-best globally, following Singapore and Japan. The VisaGuide Passport Index employs a carefully constructed formula to assess passports, taking into account multiple factors to provide a more accurate representation.
The scoring system assigns the Italian passport a total of 88.28 points out of 100, positioning it just behind Singapore and Japan, with scores of 90.28 and 90.01, respectively. The article highlights that the Italian passport allows its holders to travel to 45 countries without the need for a visa or passport, surpassing the majority of other European Union passports in passport-free travel.
Besart Bajrami, the founder of VisaGuide.World, identifies several factors contributing to Italy's high ranking. He emphasizes the significance of passport-free travel, stating that only Germany, Poland, and France surpass Italy in providing their citizens with both visa-free and passport-free travel to more countries. The article outlines the specific countries Italians can travel to without a passport, including 27 Schengen Area countries, non-Schengen EU Member States, European microstates, and additional countries such as Albania, Egypt, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, and Turkey.
Bajrami further compares Italy to other countries, noting that while Germans may have passport-free access to six more countries, Italians can travel visa-free to six more countries than Germans. Additionally, the article mentions that Italians need online travel authorization for 11 countries, e-visas for eight countries, and visas-on-arrival for 35 countries.
In summary, the VisaGuide Passport Index positions the Italian passport as a powerful travel document, and the article provides insights into the factors contributing to its high ranking, emphasizing the unique benefits it offers in terms of passport-free and visa-free travel.
