Italian Passports: Precious Access to New Opportunities

An Italian passport is one of the most powerful in the world, meaning that it can open more borders to Italian citizens.

For 2024, according to the Henley Passport Index, which is the most prestigious ranking of passports in the world, Italy is in first place with Germany, France, Spain, Japan, and Singapore. The index, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), takes into consideration 199 passports and 227 travel destinations and is drawn up by Henley & Partners based on the number of destinations that can be accessed visa-free. The ranking is updated taking into account any changes to the visa policy.

Today, Italian citizens can visit 194 out of 227 destinations without a visa. The trend sees a rise in the ranking of European countries after the undisputed dominance of the Asian ones in the last five years. Last in the ranking is Afghanistan, whose citizens can access only 28 destinations visa-free, preceded by African and Middle Eastern countries with unstable political and/or economic conditions.

In eighteen years, the average global visa-free access has gone from 58 destinations in 2006 to 111 in 2024. Italy has reached a new and important milestone. The waiting times for obtaining a passport are compensated by not only obtaining a travel document, but also having a key to access study, work, and investment opportunities, as well as being an indicator of the identity of a country and its position globally.