Methodology
Passport index methodology: how we count
Where the data comes from, how the score is counted and why different indices do not match.
- 01
Sources
The entry rules of each country: foreign ministry and immigration service websites and entry rule compilations for 199 nationalities. Every pair is checked against the IATA database that airlines use to accept passengers for a flight.
- 02
Score
One destination scores one point if you can travel there without a visa arranged in advance: visa-free, with an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) or with a visa on arrival. An eVisa or a consular visa scores nothing.
- 03
Disputed cases
Where sources differ, we follow the official website of the destination country. Where there is no official answer, we use IATA data and flag the pair: check the terms before travelling.
- 04
Why indices differ
Henley counts 227 destinations including territories, Passport Index counts 198 countries and merges ETAs with visas on arrival. So one passport can have several correct figures. We show ours with both of the others next to it.
Three indices side by side
One passport, different methods. Here is where the difference comes from.
| Passport | BRIDGES | Henley | Passport Index |
|---|---|---|---|
 Singapore | 193 · 1 | 192 · 1 | 175 · 2 |
 United Arab Emirates | 189 · 2 | 188 · 2 | 182 · 1 |
 Argentina | 168 · 18 | 169 · 16 | 160 · 14 |
 St. Kitts and Nevis | 155 · 23 | 157 · 21 | 148 · 21 |
 Ukraine | 142 · 31 | 142 · 32 | 142 · 26 |
 Russia | 114 · 48 | 114 · 48 | 123 · 39 |
 Vanuatu | 85 · 57 | 86 · 58 | 93 · 53 |
Score · rank.
Sources
- Entry rules: foreign ministry and immigration service websites.
- Entry rule compilations for 199 nationalities (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked against official sources.
- IATA Timatic via Henley Passport Index open data, used only for cross-checks and to fill gaps for overseas territories.
- Country shapes: Natural Earth; flags: flag-icons (MIT).
- Earth imagery on the globe: NASA Earth Observatory, Blue Marble Next Generation and Black Marble 2016 (public domain); 3D rendering: three.js (MIT).