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GL-M-01
Glossary · Citizenship and residency programs
Mobility score - how many countries your passport opens without a visa
Mobility (visa-free) index — a measure of passport strength: the number of countries you can enter without a visa or with a simplified visa.
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- A mobility index — a measure of a passport’s strength by visa-free access
- How it is calculated
- The number of countries without a visa or with a simplified visa
- The higher
- The freer your travel around the world
- Why
- Comparing passports and programmes with each other
- Keep in mind
- It is not the only selection criterion
02 / In plain words
What Mobility score means
A mobility score (a mobility or visa-free index) is a measure of a passport’s “strength”, reflecting its holder’s freedom of movement. It is based on the number of countries that can be entered without a visa, with a visa on arrival or with an electronic authorisation. The higher the score, the more countries admit you without a visa obtained in advance.
Such indices are published by specialised companies and industry rankings; their names differ, but the essence is the same — to rank the world’s passports by ease of travel. It is this measure that people often look at when choosing a citizenship programme: a strong passport with wide visa-free access saves time and simplifies international travel, business and life.
It is important not to make the index an absolute: high visa-free access is a weighty criterion, but not the only one. The passport’s reputation, the tax consequences, access to the specific countries you need (the US or Schengen, for example), and the speed and cost of the programme also matter. We help assess a passport as a whole rather than chasing a line in a ranking.
A case from practice
A client is choosing between two passports with a similar mobility score. But for one of their goals access to the US E-2 visa matters, and for another Schengen. We look not only at the overall ranking but at access to the countries actually needed, taxes and timelines — and choose a passport for the real task.
Where the index is used
- Comparing the strength of passports
- Choosing a citizenship programme
- Assessing freedom to travel
- Planning international business
- Diversifying passports
- A comprehensive assessment of a programme
03 / What it covers
What matters about the mobility index
How it is calculated
- Visa-free countries
- Visa on arrival
- Electronic authorisations
Why
- Compare passports
- Assess freedom to travel
- Choose a programme
Also take into account
- The passport’s reputation
- Access to the countries you need
- Taxes and cost
Not an absolute
- Not the only criterion
- Rankings differ
- Look at the whole picture
04 / How it works
How to use the index
Determine the countries required
Where you travel for work and with family.
Compare the passports’ scores
Score and key destinations in a single ranking.
Take reputation and taxes into account
How banks and countries view the passport, tax consequences.
Assess the programme as a whole
Family cost, timeline, investment requirements.
An informed choice
A passport for your task.
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01What it counts
Destinations without a visa in advance
Visa-free entry, electronic authorisation and visa on arrival. In the BRIDGES index the leader as of October 2026 is Singapore, 193.
02Caribbean passports
140-155 destinations
From Saint Lucia (140) to Saint Kitts and Nevis (155) in the BRIDGES index, including Schengen.
03Comparison
Within one ranking
Different rankings count differently. Figures from different sources are not compared directly.
04Limits
Not the only criterion
Access to the countries you need, the passport's reputation, taxes, programme price and timeline also matter.
Common mistakes
Choosing a passport by rank alone
First your list of countries and your goal, then the index comparison.
Comparing figures from different rankings
Use one source with a clear methodology, such as the BRIDGES index.
Not checking access to specific countries
Look separately at Schengen, the UK, the US and the countries you travel to.
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
The mobility index is used as one guide, not the only one. First you determine which countries you really need (Schengen, the US, China, for example), then compare passports taking into account their reputation, tax consequences, and the speed and cost of the programme. Then the choice is based on real benefit, not just a place in a ranking.
What we do for you. We help assess a passport’s strength as a whole: not only by the mobility index, but by access to the countries you specifically need, reputation, taxes, and the speed and cost of the programme. That way you choose a passport for its real benefit to your travel and business, not just for a line in a ranking.
Anna KovalevskayaLead lawyer for EU citizenship and residency, 12 years of practice
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
A measure of a passport’s strength: the number of countries that can be entered without a visa, with a visa on arrival or with an electronic authorisation. The higher the score, the freer the travel.
Specialised companies and industry analysts. The names and methodologies differ, but the essence is the same — to rank passports by ease of international travel.
No. It is a weighty criterion but not the only one. Access to the countries you need, the passport’s reputation, taxes, and the programme’s speed and cost also matter.
Because of different counting methodologies and how visas on arrival and electronic authorisations are counted. That is why scores from different sources are not compared directly.
Access to the specific countries you need. A high overall score is useless if it does not include the destinations that matter for your travel and business.
Start with a list of the countries you need, then compare programmes by access to them, reputation, taxes and cost. We help make this choice deliberately.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Tell us what outcome your family needs
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
