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Here's how powerful Canada's passport is in 2023

Canada has been ranked on a list of the most powerful passports in the world.
Elana Shepert
Elana Shepert
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Metro Vancouver, B.C. residents getting passports may face long waits at Service Canada offices in 2023 but Henley rates the travel document very high.Photo via Jupiterimages / Getty Images

Canadians continue to have one of the most powerful passports in the world, according to a recent report. 

Each quarter, the Henley Passport Index presents its ranking of passports according to the number of countries their holders can enter without the bother of applying for a visa in advance. The renowned London-based consultancy, which helps governments develop citizenship-by-investment programs, bases the ranking on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and additional in-house research.

Japan continues to hold the world's most powerful passport at the start of the new year, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations worldwide. Singapore tied again with South Korea for the second spot, with access to 192 destinations. 

Germany and Spain shared the third spot, with their respective travel documents offering visa-free access to 190 countries worldwide. 

While the passport from the Great White North hasn't moved up in the rankings, it still sits in the top ten in the world. Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Malta tied for eighth, with their passports providing access to 185 countries worldwide. 

The report authors note that there is a "direct link between passport power and economic power," as countries will a low global economic output round out the bottom ten. Afghanistan remains in last, with a score of just 27 — 166 fewer visa-free destinations than Japan, which represents the widest global mobility gap in the index’s 18-year history.

The most powerful passports in the world in 2023

  1. Japan: Visa-free access to 193 destinations worldwide
  2. Singapore and South Korea: Visa-free access to 192 destinations
  3. Germany and Spain: Visa-free access to 190 destinations
  4. Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg: Visa-free access to 189 destinations
  5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, and Sweden: Visa-free access to 188 destinations
  6. France, Portugal, Ireland, and the United Kingdom: Visa-free access to 187 destinations
  7. Belgium, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States: Visa-free access to 186 destinations
  8. Australia, Greece, Canada, and Malta: Visa-free access to 185 destinations
  9. Hungary and Poland: Visa-free access to 184 destinations
  10. Lithuania and Slovakia: Visa-free access to 183 destinations

Canada Passport lines improve but many locals report issues

Metro Vancouverites looking to renew their passport may face long waits, despite the overall average wait times decreasing across the country. 

Several people have reported waiting in long lines, including a local man who shared a video of a sprawling queue outside of the Service Canada office located in Surrey's Central City Shopping Centre in November 2022.

And while many people report receiving their passports in under a month, others say they waited up to 10 months, according to the crowd-sourced website Passport Waiting Time Canada.

Find out more information about the getting how to get a passport and issues with wait times in Metro Vancouver with our guide.