The most welcoming countries
These 197 destinations open their borders widest — most are small island and African states that admit almost everyone on arrival.
- 1 Burundi 196 nationalities
- 2 Comoros 196 nationalities
- 3 Guinea-Bissau 196 nationalities
- 4 Micronesia 196 nationalities
- 5 Samoa 196 nationalities
- 6 Timor-Leste 196 nationalities
- 7 Tuvalu 196 nationalities
- 8 Cambodia 195 nationalities
- 9 Maldives 195 nationalities
- 10 Rwanda 195 nationalities
The least welcoming countries
At the other end sit closed states — and, surprisingly, some of the world’s richest democracies, which admit almost no nationality without paperwork first.
- 197 Turkmenistan 0 nationalities
- 196 Sri Lanka 0 nationalities
- 195 North Korea 0 nationalities
- 194 Israel 0 nationalities
- 193 Afghanistan 0 nationalities
- 192 United Kingdom 1 nationalities
- 191 New Zealand 1 nationalities
- 190 Canada 1 nationalities
- 189 Australia 1 nationalities
- 188 Libya 2 nationalities
The big-economy surprise: Australia (1), Canada (1), New Zealand (1), United Kingdom (1), United States (4) — among the world’s most powerful passports, yet among the least open borders. Wealth buys mobility for its own citizens, not openness to others.
What changed in 2026
Openness is not static. Tracked against government sources, here is where doors opened and closed this year.
↑ Opened up
- United Kingdom → China
- Canada → China
- Russia → Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia → Russia
- China → Türkiye
↓ Closed off
- Russia → Montenegro
- Belarus → Djibouti
- Belarus → Jamaica
- Belarus → Cape Verde
- Kazakhstan → Cape Verde
- Kazakhstan → Djibouti
- Kazakhstan → Jamaica
- Türkiye → Djibouti
- Türkiye → Cape Verde
- Albania → United Arab Emirates
- Russia → Malawi
Full ranking — all 197 countries
Click a column to sort. “Open to” = visa-free + visa-on-arrival nationalities (out of 196).
| # | Country | Open to | Visa-free | On arrival | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burundi | 196 | 6 | 190 | Very open |
| 1 | Comoros | 196 | 0 | 196 | Very open |
| 1 | Guinea-Bissau | 196 | 14 | 182 | Very open |
| 1 | Micronesia | 196 | 196 | 0 | Very open |
| 1 | Samoa | 196 | 28 | 168 | Very open |
| 1 | Timor-Leste | 196 | 35 | 161 | Very open |
| 1 | Tuvalu | 196 | 31 | 165 | Very open |
| 8 | Cambodia | 195 | 8 | 187 | Very open |
| 8 | Maldives | 195 | 5 | 190 | Very open |
| 8 | Rwanda | 195 | 108 | 87 | Very open |
| 8 | Seychelles | 195 | 195 | 0 | Very open |
| 12 | Dominica | 194 | 194 | 0 | Very open |
| 12 | Madagascar | 194 | 0 | 194 | Very open |
| 12 | Palau | 194 | 33 | 161 | Very open |
| 15 | Cape Verde | 193 | 58 | 135 | Very open |
| 15 | Djibouti | 193 | 1 | 192 | Very open |
| 17 | Haiti | 191 | 191 | 0 | Very open |
| 18 | Mozambique | 190 | 37 | 153 | Very open |
| 19 | Iran | 186 | 41 | 145 | Very open |
| 20 | Nepal | 184 | 1 | 183 | Very open |
| 20 | St. Vincent & Grenadines | 184 | 184 | 0 | Very open |
| 22 | Mauritius | 180 | 111 | 69 | Very open |
| 23 | Barbados | 177 | 177 | 0 | Open |
| 24 | Tanzania | 172 | 49 | 123 | Open |
| 25 | Laos | 168 | 15 | 153 | Open |
| 26 | Malaysia | 165 | 165 | 0 | Open |
| 27 | Bangladesh | 164 | 23 | 141 | Open |
| 28 | Singapore | 162 | 162 | 0 | Open |
| 29 | Nicaragua | 160 | 87 | 73 | Open |
| 30 | Philippines | 159 | 159 | 0 | Open |
| 31 | Palestine | 154 | 154 | 0 | Open |
| 32 | Ecuador | 150 | 150 | 0 | Open |
| 33 | Malawi | 145 | 62 | 83 | Open |
| 34 | Zambia | 144 | 115 | 29 | Open |
| 35 | Jordan | 142 | 11 | 131 | Open |
| 35 | Zimbabwe | 142 | 40 | 102 | Open |
| 37 | St. Lucia | 141 | 94 | 47 | Open |
| 38 | Namibia | 135 | 20 | 115 | Open |
| 38 | Senegal | 135 | 60 | 75 | Open |
| 38 | Sierra Leone | 135 | 15 | 120 | Open |
| 41 | Gambia | 132 | 131 | 1 | Open |
| 42 | Egypt | 122 | 7 | 115 | Open |
| 43 | Bahamas | 121 | 121 | 0 | Open |
| 43 | Grenada | 121 | 120 | 1 | Open |
| 43 | Kiribati | 121 | 121 | 0 | Open |
| 46 | Jamaica | 120 | 101 | 19 | Open |
| 47 | Vanuatu | 118 | 118 | 0 | Selective |
| 48 | Ethiopia | 117 | 2 | 115 | Selective |
| 49 | Panama | 115 | 115 | 0 | Selective |
| 50 | Antigua & Barbuda | 111 | 111 | 0 | Selective |
| 51 | Fiji | 110 | 110 | 0 | Selective |
| 51 | Marshall Islands | 110 | 32 | 78 | Selective |
| 51 | Thailand | 110 | 95 | 15 | Selective |
| 54 | Kosovo | 107 | 107 | 0 | Selective |
| 55 | Dominican Republic | 106 | 106 | 0 | Selective |
| 56 | Belize | 105 | 105 | 0 | Selective |
| 57 | Trinidad & Tobago | 104 | 99 | 5 | Selective |
| 57 | Türkiye | 104 | 93 | 11 | Selective |
| 59 | Botswana | 102 | 102 | 0 | Selective |
| 59 | Peru | 102 | 102 | 0 | Selective |
| 61 | Georgia | 101 | 101 | 0 | Selective |
| 61 | Lebanon | 101 | 7 | 94 | Selective |
| 63 | Angola | 100 | 100 | 0 | Selective |
| 63 | Colombia | 100 | 100 | 0 | Selective |
| 63 | Moldova | 100 | 100 | 0 | Selective |
| 66 | Brazil | 99 | 99 | 0 | Selective |
| 66 | Montenegro | 99 | 99 | 0 | Selective |
| 68 | Tunisia | 98 | 98 | 0 | Selective |
| 69 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 97 | 97 | 0 | Selective |
| 69 | Eswatini | 97 | 97 | 0 | Selective |
| 69 | Indonesia | 97 | 15 | 82 | Selective |
| 69 | Qatar | 97 | 7 | 90 | Selective |
| 73 | Tajikistan | 96 | 84 | 12 | Selective |
| 74 | Costa Rica | 95 | 95 | 0 | Selective |
| 75 | Belarus | 92 | 92 | 0 | Selective |
| 75 | Uzbekistan | 92 | 92 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Andorra | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Austria | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Belgium | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Bulgaria | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Chile | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Croatia | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Cyprus | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Czechia | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Denmark | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Estonia | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Finland | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | France | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Germany | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Greece | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Hungary | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Iceland | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Italy | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Latvia | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Liechtenstein | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Lithuania | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Luxembourg | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Malta | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Monaco | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Netherlands | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Norway | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Poland | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Portugal | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Romania | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | San Marino | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Slovakia | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Slovenia | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | South Africa | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Spain | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Sweden | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Switzerland | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 77 | Vatican City | 91 | 91 | 0 | Selective |
| 113 | Albania | 90 | 90 | 0 | Selective |
| 113 | United Arab Emirates | 90 | 90 | 0 | Selective |
| 115 | Argentina | 88 | 88 | 0 | Selective |
| 115 | Armenia | 88 | 67 | 21 | Selective |
| 115 | El Salvador | 88 | 88 | 0 | Selective |
| 118 | Serbia | 87 | 87 | 0 | Selective |
| 119 | Honduras | 86 | 86 | 0 | Selective |
| 120 | Guatemala | 85 | 85 | 0 | Selective |
| 121 | Kazakhstan | 83 | 83 | 0 | Selective |
| 121 | Uruguay | 83 | 83 | 0 | Selective |
| 123 | Kyrgyzstan | 82 | 78 | 4 | Selective |
| 124 | China | 81 | 81 | 0 | Selective |
| 124 | Oman | 81 | 14 | 67 | Selective |
| 126 | Lesotho | 80 | 80 | 0 | Selective |
| 126 | Ukraine | 80 | 80 | 0 | Selective |
| 128 | North Macedonia | 78 | 78 | 0 | Selective |
| 129 | Kenya | 77 | 77 | 0 | Selective |
| 130 | Ireland | 76 | 76 | 0 | Selective |
| 130 | Solomon Islands | 76 | 31 | 45 | Selective |
| 132 | Venezuela | 73 | 73 | 0 | Selective |
| 133 | Saudi Arabia | 72 | 6 | 66 | Selective |
| 134 | Japan | 71 | 71 | 0 | Selective |
| 134 | Paraguay | 71 | 69 | 2 | Selective |
| 136 | Bahrain | 69 | 5 | 64 | Selective |
| 137 | Morocco | 68 | 68 | 0 | Selective |
| 137 | Taiwan | 68 | 67 | 1 | Selective |
| 139 | Tonga | 67 | 32 | 35 | Selective |
| 140 | Mongolia | 65 | 62 | 3 | Selective |
| 140 | Russia | 65 | 65 | 0 | Selective |
| 142 | Brunei | 62 | 57 | 5 | Selective |
| 142 | Ghana | 62 | 39 | 23 | Selective |
| 144 | Guyana | 61 | 61 | 0 | Selective |
| 144 | Mexico | 61 | 61 | 0 | Selective |
| 146 | Benin | 60 | 60 | 0 | Selective |
| 146 | Bolivia | 60 | 60 | 0 | Selective |
| 148 | São Tomé & Príncipe | 58 | 57 | 1 | Restrictive |
| 149 | South Korea | 57 | 57 | 0 | Restrictive |
| 150 | Kuwait | 56 | 5 | 51 | Restrictive |
| 151 | Uganda | 39 | 39 | 0 | Restrictive |
| 151 | Vietnam | 39 | 39 | 0 | Restrictive |
| 153 | Azerbaijan | 28 | 21 | 7 | Restrictive |
| 154 | Syria | 25 | 9 | 16 | Restrictive |
| 155 | Mali | 24 | 22 | 2 | Restrictive |
| 156 | Côte d’Ivoire | 23 | 23 | 0 | Restrictive |
| 157 | Guinea | 22 | 21 | 1 | Restrictive |
| 158 | Cuba | 21 | 21 | 0 | Restrictive |
| 159 | Suriname | 20 | 20 | 0 | Restrictive |
| 160 | Burkina Faso | 19 | 19 | 0 | Closed |
| 161 | Niger | 18 | 18 | 0 | Closed |
| 161 | Nigeria | 18 | 18 | 0 | Closed |
| 163 | Chad | 16 | 16 | 0 | Closed |
| 163 | Nauru | 16 | 3 | 13 | Closed |
| 165 | Central African Republic | 15 | 14 | 1 | Closed |
| 165 | Republic of the Congo | 15 | 5 | 10 | Closed |
| 165 | Togo | 15 | 15 | 0 | Closed |
| 168 | Liberia | 14 | 14 | 0 | Closed |
| 168 | Myanmar | 14 | 10 | 4 | Closed |
| 168 | Papua New Guinea | 14 | 0 | 14 | Closed |
| 171 | Yemen | 11 | 0 | 11 | Closed |
| 172 | Gabon | 9 | 9 | 0 | Closed |
| 172 | Iraq | 9 | 3 | 6 | Closed |
| 172 | Mauritania | 9 | 9 | 0 | Closed |
| 172 | Pakistan | 9 | 9 | 0 | Closed |
| 176 | Somalia | 8 | 2 | 6 | Closed |
| 177 | DR Congo | 7 | 4 | 3 | Closed |
| 177 | Sudan | 7 | 4 | 3 | Closed |
| 179 | Algeria | 6 | 6 | 0 | Closed |
| 179 | Cameroon | 6 | 6 | 0 | Closed |
| 179 | India | 6 | 3 | 3 | Closed |
| 182 | Equatorial Guinea | 5 | 5 | 0 | Closed |
| 182 | South Sudan | 5 | 3 | 2 | Closed |
| 182 | St. Kitts & Nevis | 5 | 5 | 0 | Closed |
| 185 | Eritrea | 4 | 2 | 2 | Closed |
| 185 | United States | 4 | 4 | 0 | Closed |
| 187 | Bhutan | 3 | 3 | 0 | Closed |
| 188 | Libya | 2 | 2 | 0 | Closed |
| 189 | Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | Closed |
| 189 | Canada | 1 | 1 | 0 | Closed |
| 189 | New Zealand | 1 | 1 | 0 | Closed |
| 189 | United Kingdom | 1 | 1 | 0 | Closed |
| 193 | Afghanistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | Closed |
| 193 | Israel | 0 | 0 | 0 | Closed |
| 193 | North Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | Closed |
| 193 | Sri Lanka | 0 | 0 | 0 | Closed |
| 193 | Turkmenistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | Closed |
Methodology. For each of the 197 destination countries we counted how many of the other 196 nationalities can enter without arranging a visa before travel — that is, visa-free (including fixed-day and unlimited) plus visa on arrival. Electronic authorisations (eTA) and e-visas count as not open, because they must be obtained before departure. Data: VisaChecker, 2026, each rule linked to its official government source. Free to republish with attribution to VisaChecker. Machine-readable: JSON feed · dataset.