The Greek passport remains among the strongest in the world ranking eighth on the Henley Passport Index and offering its holders visa-free access to 185 countries.
The Cyprus passport has been ranked 16th in the world in terms of the number of destinations its holders can access without a prior visa, dropping one spot on the table compared to last year, according to the latest Henley Passport Index for Q1 2023.
Holders of a Cyprus passport can travel visa-free to 177 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index offers the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
For the fifth year in a row, Japan has claimed the crown. Its citizens can visit visa-free 193 of the 227 destinations that the index measures.
Singapore slipped from joint first to join South Korea in second, with Germany and Spain just behind. Australia stayed in the joint eighth, or joint 23rd depending on how you want to read the rankings, with visa-free access to 185 countries.
Another ranking, the Passport Index, looks at the passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories. It updates more regularly through the year and currently has the United Arab Emirates leading with Australia and Greece in joint fourth, or joint 22nd depending on how you want to view the rankings.
The lowest-ranked passport was Afghanistan’s, its holders able to access just 27 countries without a visa.
The report also added that global travel is now at around 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, based on data released by IATA.
Henley Index Most Powerful Passports 2023
- Japan (193 countries visa-free)
- Singapore, South Korea (192)
- Germany, Spain (190)
- Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Austria (189)
- Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, and France (188)
- Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187)
- Belgium, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States (186)
- Australia, Canada, Greece, and Malta (185)
- Hungary, Poland (184)
- Lithuania, Slovakia (183)
Least Powerful
105. Yemen 34
106. Pakistan 32
107. Syria 30
108. Iraq 29
109. Afghanistan 27
Here’s why you’ll now need a visa waiver to visit Greece in 2023
From November 2023, visitors from 50+ nations, including Australia and New Zealand, will require an ETIAS to enter any of the EU Schengen area countries.
Australians will need an ETIAS visa waiver to visit Europe from 2023, after the EU announced that its long-awaited electronic visa waiver scheme, ETIAS, would be implemented from November 2023.
The ETIAS visa waiver program was originally set to be implemented in May 2023, but was postponed for six months on August 3.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is an electronic travel waiver program (not unlike the ESTA visa waiver program employed by the US) for non-EU nationals travelling to any of the 26 Schengen member countries.
From November 2023, visitors from 50+ nations, including Australia and New Zealand, will require an ETIAS to enter any of the Schengen area countries, including in transit.
The Schengen area is a group of 27 European countries – including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain – which have officially abolished border controls and adopted common entry and exit requirements that allow visitors to move freely between them. Croatia is the most recent country to join the group.
Applications are all completed quickly online, via a “largely automated IT system” and don’t require any biometric information. Most applications will be processed within minutes, although the EU has noted that “in very exceptional cases”, approvals could take up to a month.
ETIAS visa waivers are valid for short-term stays (up to 90 days) and for business or leisure purposes. Once approved, an ETIAS can be used for up to three years or until the passport expires (whichever comes first.)
To apply for an ETIAS visa waiver, you will need a valid passport, an email address, and a debit or credit card to pay the ETIAS processing fee of €7 (or approximately A$11).
There’ll be no changes for those travellers who previously needed a visa to enter.
Read more about ETIAS visa waivers here.
