Updated
GL-P-01
Glossary · Citizenship and residency programs
Passport Index - a ranking of passports by visa-free strength
A ranking of passports by the number of countries you can visit without a visa arranged in advance. BRIDGES maintains its own index: 199 passports, updated every month. It is used to compare what a second passport gives you for travel.
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- A ranking of passports by the number of countries you can visit without a visa arranged in advance
- How it is scored
- One country - one point: visa-free, with an ETA or with a visa on arrival
- Where to see it
- The BRIDGES Passport Index: 199 passports, 226 destinations, updated every month
- Why it matters
- To compare what a second passport gives you for travel
- What it does not measure
- Taxes, the right to live and work, quality of life
02 / In plain words
What Passport Index means
A Passport Index (passport ranking) ranks the world's passports by visa-free strength: how many countries the holder can visit without a visa arranged in advance. BRIDGES maintains its own Passport Index: 199 passports and 227 countries and territories in the reference list. Every passport-country pair is checked against the IATA database, and disputed cases against the migration authority of the destination country.
The score is simple: one country - one point if entry is visa-free, with an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) or with a visa on arrival. An e-visa or a consular visa scores nothing. Each passport has 226 destinations: its own country is removed from the list. In October 2026 Singapore is first with 193 destinations.
For investment migration the index is a useful benchmark. Caribbean citizenship-by-investment passports open 140-155 destinations, including Schengen: Saint Lucia 140, Grenada 147, Saint Kitts and Nevis 155. An EU passport gives more, plus the right to live and work in the Union. This lets you compare programmes not only on price, but on mobility too.
The index has limits: it measures freedom of travel only. Taxes, the right to work, banking and quality of life are not part of it. Strong visa-free access is for tourism and business trips; for relocation you look at residence or citizenship of a specific country.
A case from practice
A client compares Caribbean programmes by the ranking and sees that all of them give 140-155 destinations, including Schengen. The difference in mobility is small, while the difference in family cost, timelines and rules for children is noticeable. So the choice is made on the ranking together with other criteria.
Why people check the ranking
- Comparing passports by mobility
- Choosing a citizenship programme
- Assessing a second passport for travel
- Planning business trips
- Understanding available destinations
- Comparing Caribbean programmes
03 / What it covers
What matters about the ranking
What it measures
- Visa-free entry
- ETA and visa on arrival
- Number of accessible destinations
BRIDGES index
- 199 passports
- 226 destinations per passport
- Updated every month
How to use it
- Compare programmes
- Assess a second passport
- As one benchmark among several
Limits
- Not about quality of life
- Not about taxes
- Not about the right to work
04 / How it works
How to use the ranking when choosing a passport
Define the goal
Travel, relocation, business or taxes: the goal decides how much visa-free access matters.
Compare passports by visa-free access
We look at the score and key destinations: Schengen, the UK, the US, Canada, Asia.
Weigh against price and timelines
We put the programme cost for the whole family and the time to a passport side by side.
Consider other criteria
Taxes, dual citizenship, the programme's reputation and the risk of losing visa-free access.
Choose the programme
The passport is chosen for the task, not by a single line of the ranking.
05 / Key facts
Key facts
01How the score works
Visa-free, ETA or visa on arrival - 1 point
An e-visa or consular visa scores nothing. An ETA is applied for online before the trip, so we show countries with no paperwork at all separately.
02BRIDGES index
199 passports, 226 destinations
Entry rules are checked against the IATA database and the foreign ministry websites of destination countries; data is updated every month.
03Caribbean passports
140-155 destinations
Saint Lucia 140, Dominica 142, Grenada 147, Antigua and Barbuda 152, Saint Kitts and Nevis 155. Schengen visa-free for up to 90 days.
04Visa-free access changes
Countries add and lift visas
Example: since 03.02.2025 Vanuatu has been on the EU visa list. Before choosing a programme we look at current data, not last year's ranking.
Common mistakes
Choosing a passport by its rank alone
Goal first, ranking second: compare visa-free access together with price, timelines, taxes and the right to dual citizenship.
Confusing visa-free travel with the right to live and work
Visa-free access gives trips, usually up to 90 days. Living and working requires residence or citizenship of that country.
Relying on last year's ranking
Visa regimes change every year. Before deciding, check the current index and the rules on the destination country's website.
Treating an e-visa as visa-free
An e-visa is arranged in advance and scores nothing. Look at where you can go visa-free, with an ETA or on arrival.
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
Use the ranking as one input, not the only one: first define the goal (travel, relocation, taxes), then compare passports by visa-free access and weigh them against price, timelines and other criteria. That way the second passport fits the real task, not just a line in the index.
What we do for you. We use the passport ranking as one benchmark when selecting a programme: we show what each passport gives for travel and weigh it against price, timelines and your goals - travel, taxes or relocation.
Anna KovalevskayaExpert in Caribbean citizenship by investment programs
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
Visa-free strength: how many countries you can enter without a visa arranged in advance. In the BRIDGES index, visa-free entry, an ETA and a visa on arrival each score a point.
In the BRIDGES Passport Index: 199 passports, 226 destinations each, checked against the IATA database and official websites. Data is updated every month.
According to the BRIDGES index as of October 2026, from 140 destinations for Saint Lucia to 155 for Saint Kitts and Nevis. All of them enter Schengen visa-free for up to 90 days.
Singapore's: 193 destinations out of 226 as of October 2026. The UAE and EU countries follow.
No, only mobility. Taxes, the right to live and work and quality of life are separate criteria.
No. The ranking is one input. A programme is chosen for the goal, taking into account price, timelines, taxes and reputation, not only a line in the index.
No. Visa-free access is for travel. The right to live and work comes from residence or citizenship of the country, not from a place in the ranking.
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.
