There are many reasons why some passports are strong and some are weak. Factors such as economic and political stability, bilateral agreements, reciprocity, etc affect the strength of a passport.
Passports from war-torn countries tend to suffer a lot these days. Countries with population issues also seem to have weaker passports.
What makes a passport strong or weak?
A passport that offers VISA-FREE access to most countries in the world is the strongest. According to Henley and Partners Passport Index (October 2018), Japan passport is the strongest in the world with VISA-FREE access to 190 countries.
As the VISA-FREE number drops, the passport becomes weaker and weaker. As per the Henley and Partners Passport Index (October 2018), Iraq and Afghanistan passports are the weakest in the world with VISA-FREE access to only 30 countries.
What are some of the strong and weak passports in the world?
Most developed nations tend to have strong passports. These countries boast strong economies and stable political environments.
According to Henley and Partners Passport Index (October 2018), some of the strong passports in the world are Japan, Singapore, France, Germany and South Korea.
Developing nations usually tend to have weak passports. These countries are struggling or recovering from political and economic instabilities.
According to Henley and Partners Passport Index (October 2018), some of the weak passports in the world are Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and Pakistan.
How to turn your weak passport into a strong passport?
Having a weak passport is a struggle but it’s not the end of the world. With a bit of effort and planning, you can turn your weak passport into a strong passport. Maybe not the strongest, but a lot stronger than your current passport.
Here are the 3 steps to turn your weak passport into a strong passport.
***
01. Get US visa (or Canada Visa)
You can, of course, travel to the US with a US visa. But you can also travel to 39 other countries with a US visa.
With a US visa, you add 40 more countries (including the US) to your VISA-FREE list.
Let’s look at how your current passport with a US visa stacks up against some of the strong passports in the world.
—
Example: Your Current Passport with US Visa
| Your Current Passport | Your Current VISA-FREE Countries | VISA-FREE Countries For US Visa | Your New VISA-FREE Countries * | Your Current Passport Is As Strong As |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 33 | 19 | 33 + 19 + 1 = 53 | Chad Guinea-Bissau Madagascar Turkmenistan |
| Sri Lanka | 42 | 19 | 42 + 19 + 1 = 62 | Sierra Leone |
| Nigeria | 47 | 17 | 47 + 17 + 1 = 65 | Cape Verde or Cuba |
| Egypt | 49 | 18 | 49 + 18 + 1 = 68 | Gambia,Tanzania or Zambia |
| Vietnam | 51 | 22 | 51 + 22 + 1 = 74 | China or Lesotho |
| India | 60 | 35 | 60 + 35 + 1 = 96 | Timor-Leste, Ecuador or Kuwait |
| Philippines | 66 | 18 | 66 + 18 + 1 = 85 | Qatar |
* (Your Current VISA-FREE Countries For Your Passport) + (VISA-FREE Countries With US Visa For Your Passport) + (US) = Your New VISA-FREE Countries.
—
If the US visa is difficult for you, get a Canada visa. Canada visa is equally powerful. You can travel to 28 countries (including Canada) with a Canada visa.
Both US and Canada visas are long-term visas. They are usually issued for 10 years. You get your US or Canada visa once and your passport remains strong for the next 10 years.
Let’s look at how your passport with Canada visa stacks up against these strong passports.
—
Example: Your Current Passport with Canada Visa
| Your Current Passport | Your Current VISA-FREE Countries | VISA-FREE Countries For Canada Visa | Your New VISA-FREE Countries * | Your Current Passport Is As Strong As |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 33 | 11 | 33 + 11 + 1 = 45 | Djibouti |
| Sri Lanka | 42 | 11 | 42 + 11 + 1 = 54 | Cambodia, Niger, Rwanda or Togo |
| Nigeria | 47 | 10 | 47 + 10 + 1 = 58 | Mauritania, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe or Tajikistan |
| Egypt | 49 | 11 | 49 + 11 + 1 = 61 | Armenia, Benin, Mongolia or Morocco |
| Vietnam | 51 | 13 | 51 + 13 + 1 = 65 | Cape Verde or Cuba |
| India | 60 | 24 | 60 + 24 + 1 = 85 | Qatar |
| Philippines | 66 | 11 | 66 + 11 + 1 = 78 | Oman |
* (Your Current VISA-FREE Countries For Your Passport) + (VISA-FREE Countries With Canada Visa For Your Passport) + (Canada) = Your New VISA-FREE Countries.
—
Personal Experience
I have traveled to Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea using my US visa. If I hadn’t had my US visa, I would have needed visas to all of those countries.
***
02. Get Schengen Visa
You can travel to 26 Schengen countries with a Schengen visa. But also to 39 non-Schengen countries. A total of 65 countries.
These 39 non-Schengen countries honor Schengen visa as their own visa. You don’t need a separate visa for these countries.
Unlike US/Canada visas, Schengen visas are short-term visas valid for 90-180 days. Visa validity increases on subsequent applications.
Let’s see at how your passport with a Schengen visa stacks up against strong passports in the world.
—
Example: Your current passport with Schengen visa
| Your Current Passport | Your Current VISA-FREE Countries | VISA-FREE Countries For Schengen Visa | Your New VISA-FREE Countries * | Your Current Passport Is As Strong As |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 33 | 23 | 33 + 23 + 26 = 82 | Botswana |
| Sri Lanka | 42 | 23 | 42 + 23 + 26 = 91 | Ecuador, Kuwait or Fiji |
| Nigeria | 47 | 23 | 47 + 23 + 26 = 96 | Timor-Leste, Ecuador or Kuwait |
| Egypt | 49 | 23 | 49 + 23 + 26 = 98 | Timor-Leste |
| Vietnam | 51 | 28 | 51 + 28 + 26 = 105 | South Africa |
| India | 60 | 35 | 60 + 35 + 26 = 121 | Micronesia, Moldova, Palau or Russia |
| Philippines | 66 | 23 | 66 + 23 + 26 = 115 | Bosnia and Herzegovina or Albania |
* (Your Current VISA-FREE Countries For Your Passport) + (VISA-FREE Countries With Schengen Visa For Your Passport) + (26 Schengen Countries) = Your New VISA-FREE Countries.
A combination of a US and Schengen visa bumps that list by a whopping 80 (* depends on the passport).
Let’s look at how your passport with US/Canada visa and Schengen visa stacks up against the strong passports in the world.
—
Example: Your Passport with US and Schengen Visa
| Your Current Passport | Your Current VISA-FREE Countries | VISA-FREE Countries For US and Schengen Visa | Your New VISA-FREE Countries * | Your Current Passport Is As Strong As |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 33 | 30 | 33 + 30 + 1 + 26 = 90 | Fiji |
| Sri Lanka | 42 | 30 | 42 + 30 + 1 + 26 = 99 | Belize or Timor-Leste |
| Nigeria | 47 | 28 | 47 + 28 + 1 + 26 = 102 | South Africa |
| Egypt | 49 | 30 | 49 + 30 + 1 + 26 = 106 | Turkey or South Africa |
| Vietnam | 51 | 35 | 51 + 35 + 1 + 26 = 113 | Albania or Georgia |
| India | 60 | 44 | 60 + 44 + 1 + 26 = 131 | Peru, Serbia or Solomon Islands |
| Philippines | 66 | 29 | 66 + 29 + 1 + 26 = 122 | Micronesia or Moldova |
* (Your Current VISA-FREE Countries For Your Passport) + (VISA-FREE Countries With US and Schengen Visa For Your Passport) + (US) + (26 Schengen Countries) = Your New VISA-FREE Countries.
—
Example: Your Passport with Canada and Schengen Visa
| Your Current Passport | Your Current VISA-FREE Countries | VISA-FREE Countries For Canada and Schengen Visa | Your New VISA-FREE Countries * | Your Current Passport Is As Strong As |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 33 | 28 | 33 + 28 + 1 + 26 = 88 | Guyana |
| Sri Lanka | 42 | 28 | 42 + 28 + 1 + 26 = 97 | Timor-Leste, Ecuador or Kuwait |
| Nigeria | 47 | 28 | 47 + 28 + 1 + 26 = 102 | South Africa |
| Egypt | 49 | 28 | 49 + 28 + 1 + 26 = 104 | South Africa |
| Vietnam | 51 | 33 | 51 + 33 + 1 + 26 = 111 | Turkey |
| India | 60 | 41 | 60 + 41 + 1 + 26 = 128 | Nicaragua or Ukraine |
| Philippines | 66 | 28 | 66 + 28 + 1 + 26 = 121 | Micronesia, Moldova, Palau or Russia |
* (Your Current VISA-FREE Countries For Your Passport) + (VISA-FREE Countries With Canada and Schengen Visa For Your Passport) + (Canada) + (26 Schengen Countries) = Your New VISA-FREE Countries.
***
03. Build Travel History
Photo © Aswer777 | Dreamstime.com
Travel history may not make your passport strong, but it will improve your chances of visa approvals. The more travel history you have, the higher are the chances of visa approvals.
Travel history indicates that you don’t have illegal immigration intent. If you were to remain illegally, you could have done it so in any of the countries you have been to so far. Travel history makes you trustworthy in the eyes of the consulates.
Visa applications such as US, Canada, UK, Malaysia, Bahrain, etc especially ask for a copy of your travel history.
Therefore, fill your passport with visas and stamps to make it even stronger.
***
If you hold a weak passport, then these 3 steps will help you turn your weak passport into a strong passport. This will not turn your passport into the strongest, but these steps will definitely make your passport much better and stronger.
Do you have any questions? Do you need more examples? Let me know in the comments below.
15 ways to research visa requirements for any country
11 Reasons for UK visa refusal (and how to overcome them)
5 ways to get a proof of onward travel for your next trip
JOSEPH BLESSING VICTORIA says
Your pages are very helpful. I have gone through a lot of them(if not all). But I have a question, does Chile frown at birth tourism like the U.S do?
Thirumal says
Hi Joseph! My knowledge and experience are only in tourist visas with tourism intent. Sorry, I have no knowledge or expertize in birth tourism.
Bee says
Hi Thirumal,
I find all your articles very useful and informative, I wish I came across your blog before commencing with a UK tourist Visa for my brother he is a Nigerian and his Visa was refused and now I am in the process of trying to apply for a student Visa for him to study in the UK but I am not certain if his previous refusal will cause a negative impact.
How long does he need to wait before reapplying again?
Please, can you advise how I can best go about his student Visa?
Many thanks,
Bee
Thirumal says
Hi Bee! Previous visa refusals do affect the current visa application. But if you can understand the refusal reasons and provide an explanation in the reapplication, there are fair chances of approval.
My knowledge and experience are only in tourist visas. I don’t know much about student visas.
Yassine says
Thank you so much for this post, it is very interesting, full with great insights, there are however some few points that I don’t completely agree on :
Although securing a 10 year Canada/USA Visa seems like a smart idea, on the other hand having a Schengen tourist Visa while it will give you a big number of countries to visit it will be only for a short time, (190 days maximum) which mean you will need a least 3 to 4 Visa per years, considering the time it takes, and the free it doesn’t seem like the best idea to me, I suggest instead looking for a working or studying Visa, which will be for a year minimum, and if you’re freelancer you can look for self-employed Visa (Spain, Portugal & Netherland had I believe) or even Freelancer Visa (Germany) this will be for at least 3 years
The traveling idea may seem like a good way to give credit & emphasize your trip, it proves you like to travel and Europe is only a part of your trip, however when it comes to consider you a potential illegal immigrant (the embassy biggest fear of all times) it’ will largely depend on the country you go to, is this country , one that people overstay ? for example in my case (Morroco), Malaysia, South Koria, Turkey, UAE are Visa-free, countries that people tend to overstay but also Algeria, Dominican Republic & Sudan. So we need to use some common sense because Embassies use a lot of it.
Thirumal says
Hi Yassine! Thank you very much! And, I respect your opinion.
You don’t have to keep your passport strong all year around. There is no need to have a valid Schengen visa in your passport all the time. The idea here is to travel to non-Schengen countries when you have a Schengen visa. Your passport will be strong for a short period of time and you make use of it.
I highly appreciate your ideas and insights into self-employed and freelancer visas in Europe. Thank you very much. But, getting a work, study or freelance visa requires to have the necessary education, background, qualification or financial stability. Therefore, work, study or freelancer visas are not the best solutions for everyday travelers that read my blog.
I didn’t understand what you are trying to convey in the last paragraph. Illegal immigration is a problem and consulates do their job in identifying such cases and refusing visas. If you are a true traveler, you will not have any issues in securing visas. This will only make your passport stronger and will help fulfill your travel dream.
Ali says
Hi, I hold an Indian passport. I have recently been granted a Schengen visa. Which country can I travel without a visa with an expired Schengen visa?
Thirumal says
Hi Ali! You CANNOT visit any country with an EXPIRED Schengen visa. If your Schengen visa is still VALID, you can visit up to 39 countries. Refer to my VISA-FREE travel with Schengen Visa article for the complete list.
Vinod says
Thirumal,
Can you publish a list of countries Indian Passport Holder can visit with US Visa and separate List with Canada Visa and Shengen Visa
Also are there any countries I can visit with UK Visa on my Indian Passport
Thirumal says
Hi Vinod! I don’t have specific articles just for India passport, but I do have articles for US, Canada and Schengen visas. Check the below articles.
– VISA-FREE countries with US visa
– VISA-FREE countries with Canada visa
– VISA-FREE countries with Schengen visa
Brijesh says
TRUELY AMAZING! You are really amazing.
I believe no one will provide such inside information about these topics in such a detailed and nice way. God Bless you.
I got inspired and got my US B1/B2 visa now. Can you please share a list of VISA FREE countries with US Visa for Indian?
Thirumal says
Hi Brijesh! Thank you very much! And, congratulations on getting your US B1/B2 visa. Refer to my article VISA-FREE travel with US visa for the countries list.
phenominal says
How do I find out what countries I get exempted. My passport is Tanzanian and I have all the 3 visas, US, Canadian and Schengen.
Thirumal says
Hi Phenominal! Download my FREE eBook – The Secret to VISA-FREE Travel. It covers the list of all visa-free countries for the US, Canada and Schengen visa holders.
Alternatively, you can check the “blog” section. There are posts specific for US, Canada and Schengen visa holders.
rumpa says
Hello sir! I have a Singapore eVisa and already traveled for 1 week. Is it valid same like a sticker visa?
Thirumal says
Hi Rumpa! Yes, Singapore eVisa is like a sticker visa. If it’s multiple-entry and still valid, you can use it to enter Singapore.
Mel says
Thanks! I have been in Vietnam, Maldives, Malaysia and Brunei and will be going to Korea. I stayed not more than 2 weeks in this countries I listed. Would this be a strong proof?
Thirumal says
That’s good! Try to get more visa stickers (similar to South Korea) in your passport. The more travel history you have, the better it is for your UK visa.
Mel says
Hi Thirumal,
Your site is such a great find! I’m totally impressed with your up-to-date posts and replies!
I’m reading through your articles right now and has come across on this one.
I have a Philippine passport and has just gotten an S.Korean Visa this- my question is, will this be a big help with my UK tourist visa application? Also, I have been denied with Schengen visa last year due to lack of financial proof of evidence. How difficult do you reckon it will be for me to get approved?
Hoping to hear back from you 🙂
Thanks in advance!
Thirumal says
Hi Mel! Travel history definitely helps. It shows that you have never overstayed your visas and always returned home promptly. It builds trust. I suggest building more travel history before applying for your UK visa. UK visa applications are scrutinized much more than Schengen visa applications. Therefore, having considerable travel history helps.
Karim says
Very insightful article. So which countries can one visit using a Canadian visa on an Egyptian passport?
Thirumal says
Hi Karim! I’m only showing the numbers in this article. But for the actual countries list, refer to my article on VISA-FREE travel with Canada visa.
Imran says
WOW! You are really amazing. You have given some effective tips for me to travel. This method will help me to travel many countries.
Thirumal says
Hi Imran! For sure! Hope this helps you travel more! Try to secure US, Canada and Schengen visas. It will make your travel so easy.
Would you like me to add Bangladesh to the examples? Let me know.
Sushill Shyam Sundar says
Great post– Very cool, The time you take and the clarity you give rocks bro. Thanks once again.
Thirumal says
Hi Sushill! Thanks brother! I hope to see the day where travelers with weak passports travel the world like those with strong passports.
Asif says
Great, very useful information you provide brother. Thank you very much.
Thirumal says
Hi Asif! Thanks! I’m glad you found the information useful.
YOGESH says
Hello Thirumal
Very Helpful Information
For Foreign Travellrs
I have A Question about Immigration to
Countries with less expense becoming
Citizen of a good country like the EB5
Program for USA but less than 300k $
Regards
Yogesh
Thirumal says
Hi Yogesh! Thanks for your kind words!
There are quite a few countries offering citizenship through investment that cost much lesser than a US EB5. Panama, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Macedonia, Georgia, etc are some of them. A fantastic resource on obtaining a second passport/citizenship is Nomad Capitalist. I refer to this site myself quite a bit. Check it out.
Pranit Patil says
Amazing. Thanks for such valuable information.
Thirumal says
You’re welcome, Pranit! I’m glad you found the information valuable.
Raja Mariappan says
Excellent! Thanks for the details.
Thirumal says
You’re welcome!
Mulatu Kelbesa says
Excellent bravo, That is muth enough
Keep it Up I was get great Understand from your idea
Thirumal says
Thanks, Mulatu!