11 Jan 2023 14:34

Russian tourists can visit 118 countries without visas in 2023

MOSCOW. Jan 11 (Interfax) - Russia in 2023 is among the top 50 countries with the strongest passports: its citizens can visit 118 countries without visas, according to the updated rating of national passports of the company Henley & Partners.

In January 2023, the rating is still topped by Japan, whose citizens can visit 193 countries without visas. It is followed by Singapore and South Korea, whose citizens can visit 192 countries without visas. They are followed by Germany and Spain, whose citizens can visit 190 countries. The top five countries also include Italy (189 countries) and Austria (188 countries).

The United Kingdom, France, Ireland and Portugal rank sixth, their citizens can visit 187 countries without visas.

Russia went up one point on the rating, taking the 49th place. The country's citizens do not need to get visas in advance for trips to the countries of Oceania, some Middle Eastern and Near Eastern countries (Israel, Qatar, Turkey), Asia, most Caribbean countries (Cuba, the Dominican Republic), South America and Africa. Russians can also visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan without visas.

The last country on the rating is Afghanistan, whose citizens can only visit 27 countries without visas. Iraq (29) and Syria (30) are a little higher on the rating.

The passport index from Henley & Partners is an international rating of countries by level of freedom of travel that they give their citizens. The index analyzes the visa regulations of more than 200 countries and territories and ranges them by the number of countries with visa-free entry. The position of a country in the rating is determined by the number of countries of the world its citizens can enter without getting visas in advance or getting a visa upon arrival.