Recently, a picture of the most valuable passports of various countries has been widely circulated on social media. In this picture, a total of 24 countries with high so-called passport gold content are listed, including Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Finland, France, Germany, the United States, etc., almost all of which are Western countries. However, does this list really illustrate the "gold content" of passports?
First, let's take a look at which country has the highest number of visa-free countries. Interestingly, the United States is not the country with the largest number of visa-free countries, it does not even rank in the top 10. On the contrary, the largest number of visa-free countries is actually Singapore, a small developed country in Asia, with a total of 194 countries in the world exempting it from visas. Up to now, there are 233 countries and regions in the world, of which 197 are sovereign countries, that is, 98.5% of the world's countries are visa-free for Singapore.
In second place is another developed country in Asia, South Korea, with a total of 191 countries visa-free. A total of eight countries – Sweden, the UK, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain – are tied for third place, all of which have 190 visa-free countries.
There are also some countries where the number of visa-free countries is also quite impressive. For example, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria each have 189 visa-free countries. Six countries, including Switzerland, Canada, Norway, Portugal, Ireland and Belgium, have 188 visa-free visas. There are 4 visa-free countries with 187, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Malta.
So, what is visa waiver? Visa-free means that there is no need for any entry permit, as long as it is recognized by the immigration officer at the time of entry, you can travel freely in the country for a specified number of days, usually the mutual visa exemption is bilateral, and citizens of both sides can freely enter and exit each other with valid passports. Visa-free stays generally range from 7 days to 6 months, depending on the regulations of the country of entry.
Reaching a certain number of visa-free countries means that it is easier to travel and there is no need to go through cumbersome visa procedures. However, visa exemption does not mean that you can enter and leave the country at will. The country of entry usually imposes certain restrictions on the entrants, such as the length of stay, the purpose of entry, etc. Therefore, while enjoying the visa-free treatment, we still need to comply with the relevant regulations of the country of entry.
Although the number of visa-free countries can be used as a reference, it is definitely not the only criterion for measuring the gold content of a country's passport. No matter how many visa-free countries a country's passport is, if it cannot give its citizens the necessary protection and assistance at a critical moment, then such a passport is just a piece of waste paper.
In fact, the real gold content of a passport is not reflected by the number of visa-free countries, but by how much help and support the passport in your hand can bring you in times of crisis. It is precisely in this way that we should pay more attention to the status and ability of the passport state in international affairs, as well as the consular protection and rescue capabilities in emergency situations.
Finally, the uncle wants to say that no matter how many visa-free countries there are, we must love our country and work hard for the prosperity of the motherland. At the same time, we should also cherish every trip and feel the beauty of the world. After all, a passport is just a tool, and the real travel lies in our hearts.