Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

TRAVEL NEWS

Spain has third most powerful passport in the world

Those with Spanish citizenship are in luck because their passports are the third most powerful in the world, meaning they can travel to many different countries without the need for a visa.

Published: 24 January 2023 16:52 CET
Spain has third most powerful passport in the world
Spain has third most powerful passport in the world. Photo: DANIEL MUNOZ / AFP

If you want to go on a last-minute break, it’s really only possible to countries that don’t require you to apply for a visa beforehand or issue you with a visa upon arrival. 

The Henley Passport Index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and each year it reveals the number of destinations that passport holders from around the world can access without a prior visa.

The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations and offers all kinds of information on global mobility, ultimately revealing which passports are the most powerful. 

Each country is scored on the total number of destinations that a holder of its passport can access without a visa. For each travel destination, if a visa is not required, they receive a score of one. This also applies if holders are able to obtain a visa on arrival, visitor permit or electronic travel authorisation (ETA) upon entry.

The rankings for 2023 show that Spain, along with Germany, is in joint third place, meaning that Spanish passport holders can visit a total of 191 countries without needing a visa.

READ ALSO: Why Spain is second favourite country for Americans to move to

In joint first place are Japan and Singapore whose passport holders can visit a total of 193 countries without requiring a visa.

They are closely followed by South Korea in second place, whose passport holders can visit a total of 192 countries.

After Spain and Germany, there are several European countries on the list. Those from Finland, Italy and Luxembourg come in fourth place, able to visit 189 destinations, while those from Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden come in fifth place able to visit 188 destinations.

These are followed by passports from France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom in sixth place, allowing them to visit 188 countries without a visa.

According to the rankings, only 17 percent of countries give their passport holders access to more than 80 percent of the world without a visa.

The three countries with the least powerful passports are Afghanistan whose holders can only visit 27 countries without the need for a visa, Iraq with a score of 29 and Syria with a score of 30.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

ANDALUSIA

Eight cooler places to escape the summer heat in Spain’s Andalusia

Andalusia is one of Spain's hottest regions with July and August temperatures regularly hitting 40C or more, particularly in inland areas. If you're having an Andalusian summer, here are the places where it doesn't get as hot, one for each province.

Published: 25 July 2024 16:33 CEST
Eight cooler places to escape the summer heat in Spain's Andalusia

Segura de la Sierra, Jaén

Jaén is one of the toastiest provinces in Andalusia come summer, but thankfully there are a couple of places to get away from the worst of it. Some of the best places to head are surrounded by nature, particularly around natural parks. One of the coolest is Segura de la Sierra, located just north of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. The average temperature here is still 35C in August, but there should be plenty of shady spots to cool down. 

Photo: Marcial Salcedo/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
 

Cabra, Córdoba

The province of Córdoba not only the experiences some of the highest temperatures in Andalusia during summer, but also in the whole of Spain. Córdoba always features on national weather forecasts, with the mercury regularly exceeding 40C and often up to 45C. Located in the Guadalquivir River Basin, inland, away from the coast, means it doesn’t benefit from any cool sea breezes. The trick is to head to spots with a higher altitude such as Cabra, close to the Natural Park of the Sierras Subbéticas. 

Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

READ ALSO – Escape the heat: Eight places in Spain where it doesn’t get too hot in summer

Trevélez, Granada

The village of Trevélez is the highest village not only in Andalusia, but also in the whole of Spain – it’s altitude ensuring that it’s much cooler than the rest of the area. Located in the Alpujarras, close to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it lies at 1,400 metres above sea level. The average temperatures in July and August is 29C and 28C respectively. It also boasts cool mountain streams and lower breezy night time temperatures too. 

Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Tolox, Málaga

Located along the coast, Málaga is already one of the coolest provinces in the region, thanks to cool air coming in from the Mediterranean, but it can still feel roasting during the height of August. If you’re looking for cooler temperatures inland, then you can’t beat the town of Tolox, north of Marbella, in the mountains close to National Park of Sierra de las Nieves. Heat levels here hover around 29C in August. 

Photo: Jacqueline Macou/Pixabay
 

Sierra de Grazalema, Cádiz

Cádiz, like Málaga, also benefits from having a coastline, meaning there are several places to escape near the beaches. Again, if you’re looking somewhere inland, it’s best to head into nature, where the trees and plants keep things a little cooler. The Sierra de Grazalema is a large natural park located west of Ronda, where you won’t suffer as much as other places in the province. Its famous white villages in the mountains are other spots to keep away from the heat. 

(Photo by Jorge Guerrero / AFP)

Cazorla, Jaén

Like Segura de la Sierra, also in Jaén, Cazorla is located near the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. The Sierra de Castril Natural Park is also within striking distance. It’s location means lots of shady trees, higher altitudes, as well as cooling streams and waterfalls. In fact, it’s very near here where you can find the source of the River Guadalquivir, which runs all the way to and through the city of Seville. 

Photo: Christopher Eden/Unsplash

Aracena, Huelva

Huelva also benefits from a cooler coastline, but also has a few places inland in which to hide out from the scorching summer heat. One of them is the municipality of Aracena, in the westernmost area of ​​Sierra Morena. It has mild summer temperatures averaging 26C, thanks to its location surround by oak and chestnut forests. Cave systems here, as well as waterfalls mean there are extra places that will provide a respite from the sun too. 

Photo: Pablo Rodríguez/Pexels

Cazalla de la Sierra, Seville

Similar to Córdoba, the province of Seville is known for having almost insufferable summer heat, also reaching up to 40C or more. While many try to escape the capital for the more refreshing spots on the coast, another option could be to head up into the mountains to keep cool. Cazalla de la Sierra is a small village situated in the Sierra Morena mountain range, offering lots of shady hiking routes close to water sources, from streams to waterfalls. 

Photo: Rafa Rivero/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

.

SHOW COMMENTS