New Zealand Passport Takes Top Spot

The Passport Index has named a new most powerful passport in the world, and it’s none other than: New Zealand. Stacey Leasca reports on how our passport allows travel to more countries than any other, in an article for Travel + Leisure magazine.

New Zealand’s passport had previously held the number one spot alongside Japan, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Japan slipped into the number two spot alongside Germany, Australia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, and Australia, Leasca writes.

According to the rankings, those holding a New Zealand passport can now travel to 129 countries with visa-free access, up from just 80 countries six months ago at the height of the pandemic.

The United States on the other hand has fallen far from the top 10 list, now currently sitting in 21st place.

Original article by Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, October 7, 2020.