When it comes to travel, the power really is in your hands. The Australian passport has just been ranked as one of the most powerful in the world – and it's cracked the top ten for the 19th year straight. This time, we proudly claim the sixth spot – tied with New Zealand, Poland and Czechia – thanks to our handy little travel documents that grant visa-free access to 189 out of 227 destinations worldwide.
These rankings are according to the annual Henley Passport Index, which used data from the International Air Transport Association to compare the visa-free access of 199 nations’ passports to 227 global locations.
For the first time in history, passports from six countries were named as the joint most powerful in the world, with passport holders in Singapore, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Spain being free to travel to 194 global destinations without a visa.
Australia climbed two places on its 2023 ranking, coming in at a not-too-shabby tied sixth place. Citizens in Australia – along with New Zealand, Poland and Czechia – can travel freely to 189 destinations worldwide, either without needing a visa, or being able to easily obtain a visa, visitor’s permit or electronic travel authority (ETA) upon arrival.
Aussies planning a one-week vacay can stay close to home with visa-free travel to hot spots in Oceania, like the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and New Zealand, along with more than a dozen places in Asia, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Dreaming of a Euro-summer getaway? You can embark on a visa-free adventure across 50 European destinations, such as France, the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. Take it even further by exploring exotic places like Botswana, Qatar, Mexico, and the Bahamas, all without the hassle of a visa.
So the question is this, Aussies: where in the world would you like to go?