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Sadly, we live in a world where not all passports are created equally. As South Africans, we feel this on a deep level.

“You only have a SA passport?”, says someone from anywhere else. “Yes. Just the green mumba,” you say. “Shame, that sucks,” they conclude as you walk off into the ever-darkening land.

The ability to see the world or even move abroad can be one of life’s greatest pleasures (and privileges), a gift only granted to the select few who are already ahead in so many ways on the world stage.

Considering factors like visa-free travel opportunities, taxation of citizens, dual citizenship possibilities, national perception and personal freedom, the renowned consulting firm Nomad Capitalist has unveiled its latest rankings for the most desirable passports to hold in 2023.

South Africa’s passport ranks 101st with a total score of 65, while the top passport-holding country is the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a score of 110,5 followed by Luxembourg and Switzerland tied for 108.

The score, just for clarification, is calculated using those five key categories, where Travel accounts for 50% of the total score, Taxation at 20%, and Perception, Dual Citizenship and Freedom account for 10% each.

DMARGE notes that while some nations have soared to the top of this year’s listings, others have tumbled, and some remain stubbornly stuck.

Image: Nomad Capitalism

South Africa might be considered stuck in the weak passport mud. The South African notes that us Saffa passport holders can enter a total of 108 destinations – either without a visa, through a visa on arrival, or via an eTA:

South Africa was assigned a travel score of 108 as there are 62 countries that South Africa passport holders can enter without a visa (i.e. visa-free countries), 42 countries that allow South Africa passport holders to enter by obtaining a visa on arrival (i.e. visa-on-arrival countries) and 4 electronic travel authorisation (eTA) destinations.

There are 142 destinations where SA passport holders either need a physical visa to enter or an eVisa.

Image: The South African

The lowest-ranking country, Afghanistan, has a mere 26,5 average, making its passport over four times less powerful than that of the UAE – shame, they’ve also always been somewhat stubbornly stuck.

The UAE’s rise to the top spot is remarkable though, considering where they were positioned back in the day, placed at 35th in 2022 and 38th in 2021. How did they soar up the rankings like this?

Impressive visa-free travel privileges to 181 countries and an absence of income taxes both play a part.

Perhaps most importantly, however, are the UAE’s ambitious infrastructure projects that have been undertaken alongside its growing prominence as a global travel and business hub, positioning itself as a force to be reckoned with on the global stage.

Considering the UAE’s terrible human rights record, its passport power calls into question the wider parameters of the global rankings, which seem to openly prioritise wealth management and protection over inclusivity, fairness, and equal opportunity.

Elsewhere in the world, Australia, fell a little on the ranking, tumbling from 32nd last year to 38th in 2023. The country’s overall score dropped from 107,5 to 101, attributed to reduced visa-free travel opportunities in recent times.

Amazingly, Ireland, renowned for its low corporate tax rates, secured fourth place – hey, we can visit Ireland without a visa!

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom slipped from 26th place last year to 30th earning an overall score of 102,5 and the US ranked an uninspiring 43rd.

The geopolitical dynamics shift is putting countries like China and India ahead of these traditional powerhouses, which is incredibly fascinating to watch from our vantage point at least.

[source:dmarge]