best European passports 2020

The Most Powerful European Passports 2019

Passports are essential to travel, that’s for sure, but not all passports are of equal status. Different European passports give you different access and different freedom to travel. Good thing then that there’s a handy ranking that tells you just how useful your passport is – the Henley Passport Index.

So, you are probably wondering just where your own passport ranks among Europe’s most powerful passports? With Brexit looming, many English citizens are looking for European passports. Here’s the key ones to hold.

The Henley Passport Index

The Henley passport index is released yearly by Henley & Partners. It’s basically the Bible of all passports. Of the 32 countries in the top 10 positions, 22 of them are EU member states.

Which countries are the best? Finland, Germany, and South Korea continue to hold joint 2nd place, while Denmark, Italy, and Luxembourg remain in 3rd place

The process is super accurate:

“Its contents are based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA)…and updated using extensive in-house research and open-source online data. The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.”

The Most Powerful European Passports Global Ranking

2nd Place

Finland – 187
Germany – 187

3rd Place

Denmark – 186
Italy – 186
Luxembourg – 186

4th Place

France – 185
Spain – 185
Sweden – 185

5th Pl

Austria – 184
Netherlands – 184
Portugal – 184
Switzerland – 184

6th Place


Belgium – 183
Greece – 183
Ireland – 183
Norway – 183
United Kingdom – 183

7th Place

Malta – 182

8th Place

Czech Republic – 181

9th Place

Iceland – 180
Lithuania – 180

10th Place

Latvia – 179
Slovakia – 179
Slovenia – 179

See the full list of the world’s most powerful passports for 2019 here. Where does your country come in?

Sarah Clayton-Lea

Co-founder of Big 7 Travel, Sarah created the company through her passion for championing the world's best food and travel experiences. Before her career in digital media, where she previously held roles such as Editor of Food&Wine Ireland, Sarah worked in the hospitality industry in Dublin and New York.

Contact [email protected]

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