The latest index from consultancy firm Nomad Capitalist has rated the Swiss passport as the best in the world. While not top of the pile in all categories, the citizens of Switzerland maintain a high reputation on the global stage and are not burdened with double taxation or strict dual citizenship rules.

Nomad Passport Index 2024

Referring to the Henley Passport Index, which rates passports by how many destinations the holder can visit without a pre-arranged visa, the Nomad Passport Index argued that the number of countries people can visit does not fully explain the value of certain citizenships.

Rather than just focus on visa-free travel, “We understand that citizens of different countries deal with very different requirements to pay tax, live freely, comply with regulations, and avoid scrutiny when travelling,” the report explained. To create the ranking, the study analysed each country’s citizenship through the following factors:

• Travel: The number of countries a passport holder can visit without a pre-arranged visa.
• Taxation: Whether a country taxes their citizens regardless of where they are resident (like the US), allows citizens to move their tax residency overseas, doesn’t tax the foreign income of residents or has no taxes at all.
• Perception: A country’s rating in the World Happiness Report and Human Development Index, and whether a country’s citizens are “received and recognised abroad”.
• Dual Citizen: Whether a country allows dual citizenship.
• Freedom: Whether citizens are required to do national service, government surveillance, freedom of the press and "other factors to determine the personal freedom of citizens, travellers, and expats."

The report said it hoped to provide a way to educate budding expats about the benefits and drawbacks of being a citizen or dual citizen of countries around the world.

Switzerland takes top spot in passport ranking

Having placed fifth in 2022 and third in 2023, the Swiss passport finally went all the way in 2024, ranking first with a score of 109 points. Ireland (108,5), Portugal (107,5), Luxembourg (107) and Finland (107) rounded out the top five.

The report noted that citizens of the alpine nation are afforded “exceptionally high levels of liberty and privacy” in comparison to other nations on the list. While not scoring highest for the number of visa-free destinations to visit, Switzerland scored top marks for its leniency in allowing dual citizenship, and for happiness and human development. 

Swiss citizens some of the "most respected" travellers on earth

While the country does have military service, it also scored well in the freedom category, with the country rated highly when it came to offering its citizens personal and political rights - perhaps not a surprise, given Switzerland placed first in the latest Human Freedom Index by World Population Review. It also scored above average for its tax residency rules.

The report noted that Switzerland is only one of three countries in the top 10 that aren’t part of the European Union, the others being Norway and the United Arab Emirates. “The country’s neutrality ensures that Swiss nationals remain some of the most respected travellers in the world, while its dual citizenship laws ensure that expats can access their own slice of Swiss Bliss,” the report concluded.

However, the ranking did not consider how challenging gaining Swiss citizenship is, with standard naturalisation requiring 10 years of residence, a naturalisation test that varies by canton and community and a language certification. Questions regarding whether expats can benefit from all the positives cited in the study while simply maintaining a residence permit were also not discussed.

Nomad Capitalist's 10 strongest passports in the world in 2024

In all, here are the strongest passports in the world in 2024, according to the Nomad Capitalist report:

• 1. Switzerland (109)
• 2. Ireland (108,5)
• 3. Portugal (107,5)
• =4. Luxembourg (107)
• =4. Finland (107)
• =6. United Arab Emirates (106,5)
• =6. The Netherlands (106,5)
• =6. Norway (106,5)
• =6. Germany (106,5)
• =6. New Zealand (106,5)
• =6. Iceland (106,5)
• =6. Italy (106,5)
• =6. Greece (106,5)

For more information, check out the official website.