Luxembourg has the best passport in the world, says new research

Country climbs nine places to take top spot in new rankings

Luxembourg has moved up the passport rankings (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Luxembourgers own the best passport in the world, according to new research, but the UK has dropped six places to 22nd.

The Luxembourg passport climbed its way from number 10 to the top spot thanks to visa-free travel to 177 countries, the ability to hold both dual and multiple citizenships and “excellent passport reputation”, meaning minimal hold ups at passport control.

Last year’s number one, Switzerland, dropped to third after the country introduced military conscription.

The research, produced by offshore consulting firm Nomad Capitalist, scored 199 different passports based on five factors including how many countries they allow travel to without a visa, tax freedoms, and the world’s perception of the country and its citizens.

Luxembourgers own the best passport in the world, according to new research

The Nomad Passport Index 2018 also took into account the ability to maintain other citizenships and the degree to which citizens can live freely.

Decreased personal privacy and concerns over Brexit were blamed for Britain’s drop in the rankings from 16th to 22nd this year.

UK passport holders can still visit 177 countries visa-free, are almost always allowed to hold another citizenship, have relatively high levels of personal freedom and are thought about quite highly abroad.

The US passport held its position at number 35. Its citizens can visit 176 countries visa-free, but they are taxed on their worldwide income no matter where they live and are not perceived as highly as their British counterparts.

At the bottom of the rankings is the Afghan passport, which only allows visa-free entry into 24 countries.

Its citizens are often refused entry to a large number of countries and also encounter hostility, according to the report.

Iraq is the second worst passport to own, with travel permitted to 27 countries, low perception from other countries and low levels of freedom.

In January, a separate list placed Germany at number one.

The 10 best passports

1 - Luxembourg

2 - Ireland

2 - Switzerland

4 - Portugal

5 - Sweden

5 - Italy

5 - Spain

5 - Finland

5 - Denmark

10 - Germany

10 - New Zealand

The 10 worst passports

190 - Sudan

191 - North Korea

192 - Somalia

192 - Pakistan

194 - Syria

194 - Libya

196 - Yemen

197 - Eritrea

198 - Iraq

199 - Afghanistan