The Power of the Passport – Where US and Canada Rank

If you consider yourself a traveller, you probably rank your passport among your most prized possessions. Indeed, a passport is the key that can unlock access to the mysteries and beauties of other cultures. 

Having a passport becomes more common every year. In Canada, for example, 70% have a valid passport (as of 2022). In the US, the figure is 56% (as of 2021). 

Have you ever stopped to wonder how and why this little booklet, with its blue, green, maroon (occasionally even black!) cover, actually gets you in the door and across the border?

A brief history of the passport

The familiar booklet design of the passport was developed in 1920, but there are references as far back as 450 BC to documentation wherein a government authority requested the holder of the document safe passage in other territories. In fact, this request is still explicitly written in the early pages of many passports – in Canada and the UK these are from the reigning British monarch, while in the US it’s from the Secretary of State.

Didn’t know that? Go check your passport. We’ll wait.

What a passport actually means

Before you dismiss a passport as just another costly annoyance, consider its history as a “letter of request” for safe passage. When you enter another country, you don’t have a “right” to be there – you’re actually a guest. You are there because the country issuing your passport validates that you are one of its own citizens. The passport signifies a request for safe passage from your country’s authority to the country you are visiting. 

Passport power differs from country to country

As a traveller, you probably have a general sense of whether your country’s passport gives you free access to another country, or whether you need to apply for a visa. Naturally, the situation is unique for every origin-destination country pairing, but some countries have more power globally than others. This relative power shifts regularly.

Henley & Partners, a London-based global and citizenship advisory firm, uses data exclusively provided by the International Air Transportation Authority (IATA) combined with ongoing in-house and online research to release a yearly Passport Index. This index ranks the world’s passports by the number of countries they can visit with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.

How powerful is your passport?

In 2023, the Passport Index ranked Singapore the top country, with access to 193 countries visa-free or with a visa on arrival. Japan is a close second, coming in at 191 countries. These two countries have topped the list for several years, though Japan held the number one spot as recently as 2020.

You will find most Western European countries in the top ten spots, including the UK, which came in at #4 on the 2023 list. Canada and the US shared 7th place with Czechia, Greece and Poland in 2023’s ranking, with visa-free access to 186 countries.

Sitting in the middle of the pack are the Russian Federation and Turkiye, in 52nd and 53rd place respectively. If you’re wondering which countries bring up the rear, you’ll find Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, with visa-free access to 30 countries or fewer.

Passport colours can have significance

While passport colours are not necessarily fully coded for meaning, you can see some trends in the passport colour. European Union countries, for example, have largely chosen a burgundy colour for their passports, while some former colonial and current Commonwealth partners (e.g. Canada, the US, Australia, several Caribbean nations) prefer a shade of blue. Interestingly, with the advent of Brexit, Britain moved away from the EU-friendly shade and began issuing passports in the iconic blue and gold that it left behind in 1988.

Black passports are exceptionally rare, with only a few countries using it as the standard. In some countries, such as the US, a black passport may be a sign of a diplomat or other official status.

Tips to keeping your passport (and yourself) safe while you travel

Check documentation requirements in advance: Give yourself enough time to apply for a visa if you will need one.

Carry legally required ID: Some countries require you to carry documentation with you at all times. 

Protect your documents: Store your passport and visa in a place that is safe for the travel you are doing. This might be a hotel safe on a business trip or a waterproof pouch under your clothes for a more adventurous setting.

Have a back-up plan in case of theft or loss: Know where your nearest consulate is, and have a scan or copy of your passport and visa stashed somewhere (or with a friend back home who could email it if needed). This can help ease the process of replacing lost or stolen documents.

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