QazMonitor recently wrote about how many countries Kazakh citizens can visit visa-free, but where does it place us compared to the rest of the world? The Henley Passport Index has published an updated ranking of 199 countries (actual as of July 19, 2022).
The index measured the 'strength' of different passports all over the globe based on how many out of 227 territories citizens can enter. Kazakhstan made it to the top 75 with access to 76 countries.
Kazakhstan ranked 73rd, snuggled in between Lesotho with Suriname (access to 77 countries) and Eswatini (75 countries).
From the region
Our closest geographical neighbors showed the following results:
Russian Federation - 50th with 119 countries
People's Republic of China - 69th with 80 countries
Kyrgyz Republic - 83rd with 64 countries
Uzbekistan - 88th with 59 countries
Turkmenistan - 94th with 53 countries
If we look across the Caspian Sea, the Kazakh passport is only 'weaker' than that of Georgia (52nd with 116 countries). Azerbaijan is rated 78th (70 countries) while citizens of Iran can visit 43 countries with few to no restrictions (102nd place).
Are the accessible countries completely visa-free?
Passport strength is given a numerical value. If a foreign territory does not require a visa for entry, the passport is given a score with a value=1. The same value is also given if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) upon entry. These visa types require no pre-departure approval from the government, because of the specific visa-waiver programs in place.
If a visa is required or the passport holder has to obtain a government-approved electronic visa (e-Visa) before departure, a score with a value = 0 is assigned. A score with a value = 0 is also assigned if passport holders need pre-departure approval for a visa on arrival - a scenario the ranking-makers do not consider ‘visa-free’.
