A report this week ranked Australia’s standard passport as the equal seventh most powerful in the world.
The Henley Passport Index – a project by citizenship planning firm Henley & Partners Citizens, which covers 199 different passports and 227 destinations – is based on data from the International Air Transport Authority.
The Australian passport currently gives holders access to 183 nations without having to pay a fee or pre-apply for a visa before arriving.
It comes as demand for Australian citizenship reaches never-before-seen levels, with the federal government revealing in August close to 189,000 people were waiting for their citizenship applications to be processed.
How does the Australian passport compare to others?
Pretty favourably at the moment, according to the Henley Passport Index. Only 21 other countries allow its passport holders more visa-free or on-arrival access to other jurisdictions.
Another thing making the Australian passport powerful is its complex security features, which were beefed up in 2014.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson told SBS News the Australia passport is internationally regarded as a “high quality travel and identity document”.
“This is a key reason why Australians are granted visa-free travel to some countries, and are generally allowed to cross borders without hindrance,” the spokesperson said.
Japanese passports are the world’s most powerful, according to the Henley Passport Index, with the ability to travel visa-free to 189 countries.
Japan overtook Singapore to claim top spot, having gained visa-free access to Myanmar this year.
The United States and United Kingdom have dropped several places to equal-fifth, alongside Norway, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Holders of a New Zealand passport can enter 182 nations without a visa, one fewer than Australia.
Which passports don’t allow for easy access to Australia?
Holders of Afghan, Iraqi, Chinese, Russian, Indian, Pakistani, Sudanese and Saudi passports are among those who face a bit more difficulty entering Australia.
A number of these nations also rank poorly on the Henley Passport Index.
Passports from Afghanistan and Iraq allow visa-free or on-arrival access to 30 jurisdictions, just below Somalia and Syria, both 32, and Pakistan, 33.
