PASSPORT RANKING

A passport is an official document issued by countries to their citizens, which is used to prove the identity of its holder when he or she is traveling to another country. It is also an official form of proof that the passport holder has the nationality of the issuing country. Most passports are booklets containing in their first pages the personal data of the passport holder and his or her personal photo, in addition to passport’s data, such as its date of issuance and expiration. Passports are also issued with a number of blank pages, which are reserved for visas and entry and exit stamps gained when traveling to other countries.

A visa is an official document issued by a country to foreigners (non-citizens) looking to enter said country. A person who is granted a visa is allowed to enter the foreign country which issued it and remains there for a specific period of time (the specific number of days/weeks/months/years is indicated on the visa). Some countries issue visas in the form of stickers, which are placed on the reserved pages of the visa applicant’s passport. Other countries issue an electronic visa, which holders retain in the form of an electronic file that can also be printed (on paper). A visa includes the personal information of its holder, its validity period, and the holder’s allowed duration of stay in the destination country. It may also include specific conditions, such as the number of possible entries to the destination country allowed during the visa’s validity period.

The rank of a passport (passport ranking) refers to the position that the passport occupies in the overall passport ranking index. Compared to the passports of other countries around the world, the strength of a passport depends on the total mobility score that the passport provides to its holders. This is measured by the total number of countries to which its passport holder can travel to, either without a visa (visa-free access), with a visa on arrival, or with an electronic travel authorization. The greater the number of these destinations, the higher the total points for freedom of movement, and therefore the stronger the passport.

There are many types of passports, including ordinary passports, official passports, diplomatic passports, service passports, and emergency passports.

You need a passport if you want to travel to another country. However, there are rare cases in which some countries allow citizens of other specific countries to enter their territory using only a national identification card (ID) instead of a passport.

A visa is required if the country you are planning to visit demands that you obtain one prior to entry.