The 2020 Passport Power Rankings Recently Released, And You May Be Surprised
Photo Credit: Photo by SDI Productions via Getty Images

Photo Credit: Photo by SDI Productions via Getty Images

The 2020 Passport Power Rankings Recently Released, And You May Be Surprised

news , united states
DeAnna Taylor
DeAnna Taylor Oct 16, 2020

It’s no surprise that COVID-19 shifted the world, and the way we move from country to country. What may come as a surprise is the placement of some of the world’s passports on the 2020 Global Passport Power Rank via Passport Index.

This annual ranking takes several factors into consideration when determining the strength of a country’s passport around the world. Factors used include: visa requirements, electronic travel authorization, world openness score, and mobility score.

The most recent ranking has New Zealand, South Korea, Germany, Spain, and Luxembourg all tied for number 1, with scores of 134 each. These high scores are largely in-part due to the countries not needing a visa in more than 90 countries globally. The second factor that placed them so high was the ability to access a visa-on-arrival.

Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, the United States currently ranks at 19 along with Moldova and Albania. This does not mean that the United States’ passport is the 19th strongest, because several countries are tied in spots above it. For instance, 6 countries are currently ranked at number 2.

Of course, this system changes as often as travel requirements change globally. So, there is a chance that the United States could rise back into a top spot very soon.

Related: Oh The Places We Can’t Go: The American Passport Is Now Said To Be Worthless

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