§ Citizenship

Passport index

also called passport ranking · passport power · henley index

A ranking of passports by how many countries they let the holder enter without a prior visa.

Right, in plain English

A ranking of passports by how many countries the holder can enter without arranging a visa first. A higher rank means fewer borders where you must apply in advance. Visa-free travel is the underlying perk being counted; the index just stacks passports against each other, and it is a common guide for which second citizenship is worth chasing.

Someone weighing whether to pursue a second passport through an ancestor checks where it sits on the ranking against the one they already hold. If it opens dozens of countries their current passport does not, that jump in reach is what makes the paperwork worth the effort.

Why it matters

A stronger passport means fewer visa hassles, and the ranking guides which second citizenship is worth pursuing.

Commonly confused with

Visa-free travel

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