Canadian travellers hold more benefits now after a new report found that the country’s passport moved up in ranking as one of the most powerful passports in the world, according to a Toronto professor.
On Tuesday, investment migration company Henley & Partners released its 2024 Henley Passport Index. The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and looks at the number of destinations passport holders can access without a prior visa.
The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. The index is considered as “the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum,” according to the report.
For the first time in years, the Canadian passport is now ranked higher than the United States in the global index.
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This year, the Canadian passport is placed at number seven and the U.S has the eighth place position. Canadian passport holders can now access 187 countries without a visa, an increase of two more compared to last year.
“The US continues its now decade-long slide down the index, dropping down to 8th spot, with access to just 186 destinations visa-free,” a press release read.
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The rise in ranking has three main benefits for Canadian travellers, according to Toronto Metropolitan University Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Dr. Wayne Smith.
“It makes it easier for Canadians to travel and get visas to a lot more countries. It enhances our internal security. It make us more desirable for business owners and immigrants to settle here,” he said in an email statement to Now Toronto on Wednesday.
Despite the new ranking, there are still several countries which Canadians need a visa for. This includes Angola, Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador and many more.
When it comes to the top spot, Singapore reclaimed its title as the world’s most powerful passport, dethroning Japan. Citizens of Singapore can enjoy access to 195 travel destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free.
Tied at second place are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations.
Meanwhile, seven countries came in third place: Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden with access to 191 destinations without a prior visa.
For the full list of visa-required countries for Canadian travellers, click here.
