10:50 - 9.01.2018

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January 9, Fineko/abc.az. In the index of passports Azerbaijan has moved up by two levels, finishing in 72nd place with the possibility to visa-free entry to 63 countries of the world.

Annual Index of Passports of Henley & Partners analyzes the visa rules of more than 200 countries and territories of the world and ranks them by the number of visa-free entry countries.

The passport of Germany has been keeping consistently the first place in the ranking for the past five years. In 2018 a person with German passport can travel without visa to 177 countries of the world that is by one country more than last year. Second place went to Singapore (176 countries), and the third one was shared by eight countries: UK, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Finland, France, Sweden, and Japan. The citizens of these countries have the opportunity to visit 175 countries without visas. Over the year most of them improved the performance of visa-free access to other countries.

In 2018 Azerbaijan occupies the 72nd place in the global ranking, sharing it with Indonesia, the Philippines, Cuba and Cape Verde. Azerbaijani citizens can visit 63 countries without visa. This is the best indicator in recent years (62 countries in 2016 and 2017, 58 countries in 2015). Last year Azerbaijan ranked the 74th place in the rating.

Neighbouring countries of Azerbaijan are ranking in the Index of Passports in the following way: Russia – 48th place, Turkey – 50th, Georgia – 53rd, Kazakhstan – 65th. Georgia has improved much its position in the ranking thanks to the visa-free access to the Schengen area in 2017.

The last place in the ranking went to Afghanistan, citizens of which are opened visa-free access to 24 countries.

Index of Passports, formerly known as the Index of Visa Restrictions (renamed in 2018), has been published since 2006 by Henley & Partners in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Visa requirements reflect objectively the status of the country in the global community. The lack of visa restrictions allows running more effectively business in different jurisdictions, maintaining international contacts, using global investment opportunities and traveling.