Is the US Passport Most Powerful in the World 2023?



Most people travel across the world to explore new places, find jobs, or shift to a new place. When we talk about traveling abroad, the most important item to take along is the passport. A passport is not only about traveling for a two-week break away; but it is more about a person’s freedom, their right to live, to work in other places, and in many instances a better way of life. Mobility is one of the key approaches to ranking the passports and also uncovering the most powerful passports around the globe. It is about how many countries you can get visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to. 

Also See: Where Can I Travel Without a Passport

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Some passports are considered to be the most powerful passports than others. The strongest passports in the world are those that allow the holder to enter most countries easily, without the extra entry requirements, such as visas.

World’s Most Powerful Passport:

So, does the United States possess the best passport in the world?  The United States of America is considered the strongest country in the world 2022 and an economic powerhouse based on the GDP growth rate in the world. It is the main factor to lift a United States passport ranking and take the top spot in the global passport index. 

According to Global Citizen Solution “the Portugal-based consultancy firm”, the US passport is the world’s most powerful passport in real-time on global ranking for 2022. This world passport ranking is based on the good quality of life, mobility, and excellent investment opportunities.

Read it till the end to discover the factors behind this US passport strength.

Mobility:

The topmost factor behind the power of the US passport is enhanced mobility. The count for Visa free countries for US citizens is 189 destinations either through a visa on arrival, via an eTA (electronic travel authorization), or without a visa. Along with this, the prime US passport ranking brings more than 40 additional destinations that US passport holders can visit based on a physical visa or an eVisa (i.e. visa required countries).

These 40 additional destinations are separate from US visa-free countries and visa-on-arrival countries. The main reason behind this strong US passport strength is that the US has negotiated and established treaties that allow US passport holders easy access to business, trade, and travel, which is itself evidence that the US has one of the most powerful passports in the world.

There is a long list of countries that US passport holders access easily including the UK, UAE, New Zealand, Brazil, Australia, Canada, and the EU countries.

Also See: Do You Need A Passport To Go To Canada

Investment:

The US passport holds the fourth position on the world ranking of investment index. The one factor behind this fourth United States passport ranking on the investment index is that the US offers many attractive visa solutions for investors or for those looking to invest like the E2 Visa program and EB5 Visa program. 

The US business visa also allows (non-US) citizens to spend 90 days in the country for business ventures.

Being one of the most powerful passports in the world, the United States provides the most profitable consumer market to investors with a very diverse and developed economic market. It is the most favorable option for investors based on the Gross National Income per capita (GNI) of $66.080 and personal taxation of 37%.

The US ranks well in all aspects of market and innovation including the financial system, market size, labor market, product market, business dynamics, and innovation capability.

Quality of Life:

Quality of life also works behind the power of a US passport. The US performs exceptionally well in some aspects of quality of life like freedom of speech, environmental performance, migrant acceptance, sustainable development, and happiness.

However, The US passport ranking is least in the index of quality of life due to the high cost of living. We can definitely consider this as a down point of the most powerful country in the world. 

US passport Renewal:

A US passport has a validity of 10 years after the date of issuance. If you are using the old US passport then there is a need to renew your passport by the end of 2022. According to state department officials, all passport agencies and centers are expected to begin issuing next-generation passports by the end of 2022. The next generation passport is totally different from the passport most of us are used to. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will get a next-generation passport if you apply for it until the end of 2022.

Major Changes in US Passport:

The advanced information page is the major change in the Next Generation US Passport. This page holds the information of nationality, name, photo, and date of birth of the passport holder. The pages are more durable and also use the laser-etched high-tech photo in black and white. The number of next-generation passports begins with a letter and is followed by an eight-digit number. The US passport also includes current representations of American culture, history, and traditions on the visa page. 

US Passport Updates:

Next-generation passports use advanced technologies to produce stronger passports in terms of enhanced security features like laser engraved personalization, upgraded artwork, and polycarbonate information pages. The main difference between the present circulated passport and the next-generation passport is the certification page on the third page and the location of polycarbonate information. The visa page has also been enhanced with artistic paint and ink to portray US history, landscape, traditions, architecture, and culture.

Why you need to Renewing of Passport:

If you are still holding the old US passport then there is a need to apply for the next generation passport due to the advanced modifications. Keep in mind that you choose the version of the next-generation passport while applying. Furthermore, the state department can’t ensure the receipt of passports or next-generation passports.  The reason behind this is that 26 passport centers and agencies have changed the existing passport printers with the printers of next-generation passports across the country. 

The process of issuing next-generation passports is very lengthy due to this both the passports and NGP will be issued until August 2022. The NGP & ePassport will remain valid until the completion of the process of reprinting the next-generation passport by all passport agencies and centers. 

You can visit our website https://www.passportsandvisas.com/ to get more information and updates related to the process of passport renewal or any query related to passports. 

About This Author

Philip Diack is Founder and Managing Director of Passports and Visas.com, a national passport and travel visa service with offices in Atlanta, Miami, Washington, DC, NYC, Denver and San Francisco.

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