Gizane Campos What is the absolute best passport for expats to have in 2025? According to the latest Global Passport Index by GCS, that would be Sweden!
This Nordic country knocked Germany off its first-place position by scoring highly for travel freedoms, investment opportunities, and quality of life.
Read on to discover why Sweden came in first place, with a detailed breakdown of what makes this passport so appealing for expats.
- About the Global Passport Index
- What Is the Best Passport for Expats?
- Other Best Passports for Expats
- The Best Passport for Expats For Quality of Life
- The Best Passport for Expats for Travel Freedoms
- The Best Passport for Investment Opportunities
- The Best Passport for Fast Citizenship
- The Best Passport for Expats of all Nationalities
- Benefits of a Second Passport
- How to Get a Second Passport as an Expat
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Passports
About the Global Passport Index
Over the years, popular global passport rankings have been developed that allow people to understand how a passport can facilitate travel abroad with few to no visa restrictions. Aside from visa-free travel, there are also other key benefits to consider when obtaining the best second passport.
Our Global Passport Index uses a scoring system that determines a passport’s allure in terms of lifestyle, business, and investment opportunities.
This quantitative tool offers a detailed overview of mobility and country attractiveness across three standalone indexes: Enhanced Mobility Index, Investment Index, and Quality of Living Index. Each index enables users to filter results for individual country rankings. To understand the methodology behind the result, check out our Global Passport Index Methodology.
We use composite indicators to evaluate the specific criteria that make certain passports so attractive. The ranking is based on data from various international institutions and multilateral organizations such as The World Bank, the World Economic Forum, and the Sustainable Development Report, and is bolstered by senior analysts.
What Is the Best Passport for Expats?
Sweden is the best passport for expats! A Swedish passport allows visa-free travel to 181 countries worldwide as well as visa-on-arrival access to many more.
Over the last 70 years, Sweden has become quite ethnically, religiously and linguistically diverse with every fourth resident now having a foreign background. This helps to make it an attractive and popular destination for expats to live in.
This European country is a wonderful place to turn into a home, as well as to hold a passport, with a high quality of life and excellent infrastructure.
The country has advanced infrastructure, a high quality of living, and is located in the heart of Europe, making it one of the best passports for travel, work and living.
Sweden scores:
- 1st in the Quality of Life Index
- 8th in the Enhanced Mobility Index
- 11th in the Investment Index
Other Best Passports for Expats
According to the Global Passport Index by GCS, some other best passports for expats to own include:
Germany
Visa-free access: 181 countries
Germany deservedly ranks high on our list. It was first place the year before and barely missed out on the highest rank this time around. It has a strong economy, excellent healthcare, efficient public transport and a safe environment. It also has rich cultural heritage and robust social security, contributing to a prosperous community.
Finland
Visa-free access: 181 countries
Northern Europe is home to some of the world’s best passports, and Finland is no exception. A Finnish passport offers access to various countries visa-free, ranking second in the Quality of Life Index, eighth in the Enhanced Mobility Index, and 27th in the Investment Index (a huge improvement from 38th position in 2024).
Switzerland
Visa-free access: 181 countries
There’s a lot more to Switzerland than spending your life on a ski slope, and the complexity of this one-of-a-kind country makes a difference. According to our Global Passport Index, Switzerland is in 2nd place on the Investment Index and 12th in Enhanced Mobility.
The Netherlands
Visa-free access: 182 countries
The Netherlands has an outstanding passport, ranking fifth on the list, and has a wonderful strategic position in the EU. The country stands in seventh position on the Quality of Living Index, which is proven by the country’s popularity among expats.
The United Kingdom
Visa-free access: 179 countries
In the UK, you can enjoy a high standard of living thanks to a world-class infrastructure that includes an enormous public transportation system and the National Health Service (NHS). The country also has a strong reputation and influence on the world stage.
Ireland
Visa-free access: 182 countries
The Irish passport is a desirable travel document due to high visa-free access, EU citizenship benefits and a positive global reputation. The country also has attractive tax policies and a business-friendly environment for foreigners.
Denmark
Visa-free access: 181 countries
Alongside countries like Finland, Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world. Expats are generally pleased with Denmark as a result of a good quality of life, strong economy, excellent work-life balance, high-quality education, and digitization.
Luxembourg
Visa-free access: 181 countries
Luxembourg is recognised for its high level of safety and low crime rates. Living in Luxembourg provides a pleasant and calm environment but you still have access to the hustle and bustle of the rest of the EU. For expats it’s ideal as it’s a multicultural and multilingual country.
Norway
Visa-free access: 179 countries
Despite Norwegians being known for their reserved nature and the country having a high cost of living, locals are welcoming to newcomers, and the country is one of the most efficient and clean in the world. With a strong and stable economy and rich natural resources, it is a favorite with expats. It is also one of the safest countries not only in Europe but also in the world.
View the full ranking here.
The Best Passport for Expats For Quality of Life
Sweden tops the charts for being the best passport to have in terms of quality of life. Sweden outperforms most other countries when it comes to the average in income, jobs, education, health, environmental quality, civic engagement, safety and life satisfaction. Its strong welfare system, robust economy and high levels of equality all contribute to a happy and secure population.
The Best Passport for Expats for Travel Freedoms
A Singaporean passport gets you far (literally), and offers the best second citizenships for nomads. Expect visa-free travel access to 194 countries and territories. Considering Singapore is Asia’s economic powerhouse, and if you need to travel for work around Asia, a Singapore passport should do the trick.
The Best Passport for Investment Opportunities
Singapore has done it again, snagging the top spot in the world for its passport power concerning investment opportunities. This city-state has an enabling investment environment and robust infrastructure and is a strategic location in the heart of Asia that makes Singapore a launchpad to access key markets in Malaysia, Indonesia, and more.
The Best Passport for Fast Citizenship
The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment program, the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere, offers one of the quickest passports in the world. The application process usually takes around four to six months between the submission of the application to the granting of citizenship.
The Best Passport for Expats of all Nationalities
Most countries that offer citizenship by investment have a list of nationalities that are banned from applying for economic citizenship. It means that if you are from a country such as, for example, Afghanistan, Russia, Belarus, or Syria, you will probably find some difficulty in applying for economic citizenship programs.
But Grenada, a country in the Caribbean, decided in 2022 to get rid of their banned nationalities list and now assess all Citizenship by Investment applications received, dealing with each case individually.
This means that regardless of where you come from, as long as your sources of income and activities are legal, and you can go through their due diligence process, then you and your family have a good chance of obtaining a Caribbean passport through the Grenada Citizenship by Investment program.
Benefits of a Second Passport
The benefits are numerous for individuals seeking a powerful second passport – from enhanced travel mobility and unrestrained access to business and educational opportunities to asset diversification and improved safety and security.
Other benefits include:
- Personal freedom guarantee
- Twice the opportunities to live, work, study, and do business in two countries
- Certain passports grant unrestricted access to the European Union
- Passport can be handed down to future generations, securing your family’s safety
- Ultimate backup plan in case of political or economic crises
How to Get a Second Passport as an Expat
Getting a second passport as an expat can be a strategic move to secure your future. Whether it is for easier travel across the globe, tax planning, lifestyle improvement, or security against political and economic issues.
Here are the main ways to obtain a second passport, depending on your situation, goals, and budget:
- Citizenship by Descent: If you have parents, grandparents, or sometimes even great-grandparents from another country, you may be eligible for citizenship by descent. Italy and Ireland are popular countries for this route to citizenship. It can be inexpensive and is a permanent status, but the cons are the time-consuming and bureaucratic nature of the process.
- Citizenship by Naturalization: After living in a country for a certain number of years, you may be eligible for citizenship. The typical residency period before applying for citizenship by naturalization can vary from between 5 to 10 years. This route allows for full rights as a citizen and a passport.
- Citizenship by Marriage: Marrying a citizen can often fast-track the naturalization process. Citizenship by marriage is a faster path than naturalization by itself and requires fewer residency years. There is still a lot of paperwork involved, and it may come with integration requirements.
- Citizenship by Investment (CBI): Some countries offer fast-track citizenship in exchange for a financial investment. The investment and time to citizenship will differ depending on the country of choice. The pros of citizenship by investment programs include the fast processing time and the fact that it usually doesn’t require you to relocate to the country. It is, however, an expensive endeavor and can be politically sensitive.
Want to know which Citizenship by Investment program suits you best?
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Passports
What countries let you buy citizenship?
You can’t buy a passport per se but some citizenship by investment programs lets you make a significant investment in return for full citizenship and a passport.
What is the most respected passport in the world?
According to the Global Passport Index by GCS, Sweden has the most respected passport in the world.
It provides visa-free access to 181 countries, with very high mobility, investment, and quality of life scores.
What country is the easiest to get citizenship?
The countries with the easiest passport to get are Italy, Ireland, Poland, and Hungary. These four countries all have a generous and accommodating approach to citizenship by descent.
If you’re looking for the most cost-effective, then countries like Dominica, St. Lucia, and Antigua and Barbuda are the cheapest citizenship by investment options.
What is the safest passport to have?
The safest passport, meaning the one with the most visa-free or visa-on-arrival access, is subjective and depends on your travel plans, but passports from Singapore and Germany consistently rank among the top ten, offering access to a large number of countries without needing a visa.
What is the cheapest passport to buy in 2025?
The most affordable Citizenship by Investment programs available in 2025 are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St Lucia, all of them in the Caribbean.
