The increasing travel barriers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the new havoc due to emerging variants of the virus has put the world on a hold. There have been many changes introduced over the course of the Covid pandemic in travelling across the countries that have resulted in the widest global mobility gap in the index’s 16-year history. With every country having its own set of rules and regulations, it becomes difficult to figure out the travel destination perfect for a mini getaway. Here’s the list of places to travel abroad without requiring a visa and ensuring a hassle-free process.
European countries dominate the top of the list as usual.
Over 60 countries do not need a visa to travel to Europe, specifically the Schengen Area. Third-country nationals who are not visa-exempt need the Schengen visa to enter the Schengen zone. People belonging to Mexico, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Georgia, Australia etc do not require a visa to enter Europe. There are 22 EU member countries, 4 member countries of the Free Trade Association, and 3 microstates in the Schengen Area.
To visit countries outside Schengen, it is necessary to contact an embassy. For instance, to enter the United Kingdom, foreigners must meet the respective entry requirements.
For visa-free countries, the European Union will launch the European Travel and Information Authorization System (ETIAS) in late 2022.
South Korea and Germany are the second-best countries to travel to. They are the strongest passport to hold on to.
Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain are all together in the third-best option to think about travelling in 2022. France, Netherlands, and Sweden or Austria and Denmark stand at fourth place when thinking about a new option. Ireland and Portugal are in fifth place on the list.
The emergence of the Omicron variant brought to notice a concern on a growing disparity in international mobility between wealthier countries and poor ones because of the tough restrictions due to pandemics.
The opening of the migration channels will be crucial for post-pandemic recovery. Passports and visas are among the most important instruments impacting social inequality worldwide as they determine opportunities for the global movement. The borders within which we happen to be born, and the country to which one wants to relocate should have an easy and flexible process. Wealthier states and countries need to encourage positive inward migration in an effort to help redistribute and rebalance human and material resources worldwide.
The worst passports to hold
Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival and provide access to fewer than 40 countries.
These include:
- North Korea (39 destinations)
- Nepal and Palestinian territories (37)
- Somalia (34)
- Yemen (33)
- Pakistan (31)
The best passports to hold in 2022 are:
Many countries allow access to more than 40 destinations without requiring a visa.
They are :
- Japan, Singapore (192 destinations)
- Germany, South Korea (190)
- Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain (189)
- Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Sweden (188)
- Ireland, Portugal (187)
- Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States (186)
- Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185)
- Poland, Hungary (183)
Also Checkout: India Signs Air Travel Bubble Agreement with Australia
