According to latest data, the Henley Passport Index ranked Rwanda as the 76th out of 103 countries in terms of strong passports, globally.
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This is mainly attributed to the country’s efforts in signing agreements to waive visa requirements for ordinary passports, facilitating bilateral cooperation with different nations.
But what makes a passport strong? And who is more advantaged?
Understandably, the stronger your passport, the more countries you can travel to without needing a visa or being given a visa on arrival. Rwandan passport holders can enjoy visa-free access to 63 destinations worldwide.
Global ranking companies use different indicators to compare passport competitiveness and acceptance based on data provided by various international institutions such as the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, the Sustainable Development Report, and the International Air Transport Association, among others.
While there might be a number of things to consider in detail, such rankings have mobility, wealth, and security as common indicators.
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The Enhanced Mobility Index is one indicator that carries more weight when rankings are made. This is because it goes beyond counting the number of destinations passport holders have in terms of visa-free or visa-on-arrival they have access to.
It also takes into account elements such as the requirement to attend an interview at an embassy for a physical visa prior travel, which predominantly affects passport holders from the lowest-ranking countries.
The Investment Index is based on global competitiveness, gross national income per capita, and personal income. It takes into account a country’s financial system, market size, business dynamism, labour market, and innovation capability.
There are two interrelated factors, as explained by Henley and Partners that release the Henley Passport Index. First, countries are more willing to open up their borders to citizens from wealthier countries because doing so is likely to pay greater economic dividends in the form of trade, tourism, and investment.
Secondly, individuals from wealthier nations are less likely to place a burden on the host country’s social and economic system, for example, through the cost of unauthorized migration. Individuals from countries with high levels of poverty and economic instability, on the other hand, are considered as posing a high risk of overstaying their visas.
Additionally, the Quality of Life Index takes into account factors such as sustainable development, cost of living, protection of personal freedom, the happiness of citizens, environmental performance, and acceptance of migrants.
While one might tend to consider democracy as an indicator, global ranking companies say that it does not play a pivotal role in spurring an increase in visa-free scores.
According to Global Citizen Solutions which releases the yearly Global Passport Index, these indicators allow people to move with the right passport, have financial security by knowing a conducive environment to invest, and know where they are most welcomed when considering to temporarily or permanently relocate to another country.