PASSPORT INDEX
RUEN

Methodology

Passport index methodology: how we count

Where the data comes from, how the score is counted and how we resolve disputed cases.

  1. 01

    Sources

    The base is the entry rule compilations for 199 nationalities on Wikipedia as of the update date. Every pair is checked against IATA data. Where sources differ, we check the foreign ministry and immigration service websites of the destination country.

  2. 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. An ETA is not a visa, but you apply for it online before travel, so we also show separately how many destinations need no paperwork at all.

  3. 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.

  4. 04

    227 and 226

    The reference list has 227 countries and territories. For each passport we count 226: its own country is left out.

Comparison

Why the BRIDGES index is more accurate

Passport rankings count in different ways. Here is what we do differently.

  1. 01

    All 226 destinations

    We count states and dependent territories: Hong Kong, Macao, Bermuda, Aruba. Some rankings take about 198 states, so territories people actually fly to are left out.

  2. 02

    eTA on its own line

    An electronic travel authorisation must be obtained before departure, or you will not be allowed to board. Some rankings add it to visas on arrival, and that difference is lost. We show it separately.

  3. 03

    Checked against official websites

    Disputed pairs are checked on the foreign ministry and immigration service websites of the destination country and flagged. Every figure has a check date.

  4. 04

    Length of stay

    For every destination you see how many days you can stay, not just whether you can go.

  5. 05

    One figure across the site

    Programme pages, articles and the comparison all use the same BRIDGES Passport Index figure. Passports cannot be compared using figures from different rankings: their methods differ.

Sources

  • Base: entry rule compilations for 199 nationalities (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), revisions as of the update date.
  • Every pair cross-checked: IATA Timatic data, retrieved on 4 October 2026. It also fills gaps for overseas territories.
  • Disputed pairs: foreign ministry and immigration service websites of the destination country.
  • 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).