- The Expatriator Passport Rights Index has ranked the Irish passport first of 193, tied with Liechtenstein
- Irish and Liechtenstein citizens hold the right to live and work in 31 countries
- The Common Travel Area adds England to the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland for Irish holders
- Every other EU passport holds the right in 30 countries
- The weighted view places Spain first by median rank
The Expatriator Passport Rights Index has ranked the Irish passport first of 193 passports in the right to live and work category, tied with Liechtenstein, on rights to live and work. Irish and Liechtenstein citizens hold that right in 31 countries. Ireland’s Common Travel Area covers England other freedoms cover the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, while every other EU passport stops at 30. A passport issued in England covers two.
Singapore gives its citizens the right to live and work in one country, Singapore. Japan, Canada and 119 other passports carry that right only at home, covering 122 of the 193 passports. An Argentine passport carries Mercosur residence rights in eight other South American countries. A Spanish passport carries none there.
A weighted view adds nationality-keyed shortcuts to a second citizenship, youth working-holiday programmes and obligations. Spaniards hold shortcuts in 16 countries where they have no residence right. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income for as long as they hold the passport. Singapore does not recognise a second citizenship and ranks 186th of 193 in the weighted view. The index covers 193 passports, 18 residence regimes, 61 nationality-keyed citizenship shortcuts, 92 working-holiday programmes and 19 citizen tax rules.
In an index published earlier in the yea rin July Ireland finished joint 22nd in the overall rankings, topped by Spain, Portugal, Australia, Canada and New Zealand when other considerations are taken into account.
Tyler Martin shared “I asked why Spain isn’t the best passport in the world, what with its expanded rights in both Latin America and the EU. The answer is far more complex than I thought; if passport power is to be fully understood, we need to examine the full range of rights and responsibilities each entails.”
