Canadian passport ranks among best in world in 2025

The Canadian passport was listed in the seventh position in a new global ranking of most powerful passports in the world in 2025.

The ranking was done by global consultancy, Henley & Partners, and is based on the number of destinations Canadian passport holders can access without a prior visa.

In 2025, Canadian passport holders have visa-free access to 188 destinations. This ties Canada with Malta and Poland, which also hold the seventh position.

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This also marks the first time that the Canadian passport has beaten the US passport, since the company began publishing its global ranking, the Henley Passport Index, in 2006.

This year, the US fell to the ninth position on the list, two positions below last year’s ranking in the seventh position.

The Canadian passport, on the other hand, has maintained its position from 2024, also in the seventh place. It’s an increase from 2023, when the Canadian passport ranked in the eight position.

Egypt and Brazil are two countries that have removed visa restrictions on Canadians in 2025, according to the index. On the other hand, Gabon and Togo now require Canadians to have visas to visit.

Despite the fact that Canada maintained its position in seventh place, Henley & Partners pointed out that Canada has dropped three ranks over the past decade, from its position in 4th place in 2015.

Methodology

The Henley Passport Index considers destinations as visa-free if they allow visa-free arrival, visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Destinations that require a visa or a government-approved electronic visa (e-visa) are not counted.

This helps determine the overall mobility of passport holders.

The index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association, enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team.

How does the Canadian passport compare to other passports?

The Henley Passport Index looks at the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations.

This year, Singapore reclaimed its top spot as most powerful passport, giving its holders access to 195 out of 227 destinations worldwide.

It was followed by Japan offering visa-free access to 193 destinations.

Afghanistan falls at the bottom of the list, with visa-free access to 26 destinations.

The index also noted that the UAE is one of the biggest “climbers” over the past decade, having gotten access to 72 more destinations over the last decade, falling to the 10th position in 2025.

How can I get a Canadian passport?

In order to get a Canadian passport, one must first become a Canadian citizen.

Those born within Canada are automatically eligible.

Note: If someone is the direct child of a Canadian citizen (at the time of their birth), they may be eligible to inherit citizenship status from their parent through current interim measures. 

For those not born in Canada, this can be a long process that involves first getting Canadian permanent residency. There are numerous pathways to PR to consider.

After attaining PR status, there are other criteria that need to be met, namely:

• Canada’s physical presence requirement for citizenship (you must have lived in Canada for at least three out of the past five years);
• Filing taxes and paying any outstanding taxes owed;
• Passing a citizenship test; and
• Taking the oath of citizenship.

Generally, becoming a Canadian citizen through naturalization takes over three years.

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