Ghana Ranks 75th In 2023 World’s Most Powerful Passports Index: Ghanaians Can Access 65 Countries Visa Free

• Ghana has been ranked at number 75 on the 2023 World Most Powerful Passports index compiled by Henley and Partners
• Per the latest ranking holders of the Ghana passport can access some 65 countries without a prior visa
• Singapore tops the index at number one and holders of the Singaporean passport can access as many as 227 countries without a visa

Ghana's passport has ranked 75th out of 199 passports in the 2023 Henley Passport Index.

The latest index was compiled by Henley and Partners which has since 2006 been the original, authoritative index of all the world’s passports.

The ranking is done partly according to the number of destinations the passport holders can access without a prior visa.

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Per the latest ranking, Ghana can access 65 countries without a prior visa.

The countries Ghana can access without a visa include the following:

• Jamaica,
• Singapore,
• Guyana, and
• Tanzania.

There are, however, 162 visa-required destinations including New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and Finland.

In 2021, Ghana was ranked 77th position out of 199 passports by the Henley Passport Index. This was a two-point drop in 2020 rankings where Ghana ranked 75.

In Africa, Ghana's passport ranks 13th on the continent. See the list of the top 20 countries with the strongest passports in Africa:

1. eSwatini
2. Kenya
3. Malawi
4. Tanzania
5. Tunisia
6. Zambia
7. The Gambia
8. Uganda
9. Morocco
10. Sierra Leone
11. Zimbabwe
12. Cape Verde Islands
13. Ghana
14. Mozambique
15. Rwanda
16. Benin
17. Burkina Faso
18. Cote d'Ivoire
19. Gabon
20. Mauritania

In the latest ranking for 2023, Japan has been knocked down from the first position to third place.

The new titleholder is Singapore, whose citizens are able to visit 193 destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free.

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The US and the UK have both seen a drop in the strength of their passports in the latest rankings

The Henley Passport Index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The index ranks 199 passports worldwide and is updated in real-time throughout the year.

Ghana announces plans to roll out chip-embedded passports

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that Ghana was bracing for the roll-out of a chip-embedded passport or e-passport before the end of 2023.

Director of Passports Alhaji Mohammed Habid Idris said the e-passports are the way to go for Ghana because of their enhanced security features.

Ghana has since October 2022 been gearing up for the roll-out of the innovative e-passports that have already been introduced in about 150 countries.

How to download and fill Ghana biometric passport application form

Also, YEN.com.gh has explained that the Ghana biometric passport application form is issued to all Ghanaians who either became citizens by birth, registration or naturalization.

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It is simply a travel document that contains the identity information of its holder alongside his/her nationality and reason for international travel.

Unlike the traditional passport, this advanced biometric passport has a microprocessor chip embedded in it that contains body metrics such as retina scans and fingerprints of its holder.

Passport offices choked by over 30,000 unclaimed passports

YEN.com.gh reported previously that Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration appealed for members of the public who have applied for passports to come for them.

The ministry said in a press statement issued on January 30, 2023, that there are over 30,000 completed but uncollected passports at the various Passport Application Centres.

The foreign affairs ministry said it is important for the books to be collected because they would be required during a renewal.

Source: YEN.com.gh