After being stuck in fourth or third place for most of the 19 years since the annual ranking began, Spain has finally topped the list of passports with visa-free access to the highest number of countries ranked by the Henley Passport Index.
This authoritative Passport Index uses exclusive data from the IATA (International Air Transport Association) to compare passports from 199 countries, scoring them based on their access to 227 destinations and how many are visa-free.
Spain has always been in the top five of the Passport Index – apart from one year in sixth place – but after holding the third position since 2020, the Spanish passport has climbed to the number one spot in 2024 for the first time ever.
This means that Spain has one of the most desirable passports in the world, due to the greater freedom of travel it allows.
The most powerful passports in 2024
While Spain is in the top spot, it isn’t alone – in another first for the Passport Index, the Spanish passport shares the podium with five other countries. Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, and Singapore share the highest score of 194.
This is closely followed by seven countries in second place with a score of 193, including six European countries and newcomer South Korea. The top ten is mostly dominated by Europe, though Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US, and the United Arab Emirates also made it into the top eight.
The researchers behind the Index believe there is a strong correlation between this ‘passport power’ and economic performance in countries that have investment programmes to encourage immigration. The majority of G7 countries offer some kind of ‘citizenship by investment’ scheme.
For example, Spain grants residency through investment in the Spanish economy. While real estate investment will no longer be accepted soon, potential immigrants can still invest in Spanish companies, shares, or Treasury bonds to obtain visas for themselves and their dependant family members to reside in Spain.
Alongside factors such as being the top EU country for UK nationals, the second best country for expats and remote workers in the world, and home to four of the world’s top ten cities for expats, it’s no wonder that people from around the world would want to immigrate to Spain.
How to get a Spanish passport
Of course, getting a Spanish passport isn’t as simple as just moving to Spain and gaining legal residency. You have to be a Spanish citizen to get a Spanish passport, which means meeting the requirements to apply for Spanish citizenship first.
As explained in our blog covering Spanish residency and how to become a Spanish citizen, if you aren’t a Spanish national or the descendant of one, then you must live in Spain as a resident with the appropriate visa for the required amount of time before you can apply for a Spanish passport.
This process involves living in Spain for at least half of the year for 5 years in order to apply for permanent residency, then for a further 5 years (10 years total) before being able to take the citizenship exams.
You can learn more about this on the ‘immigration lawyers Spain’ page of our website, or contact the Manzanares Lawyers team for tailored advice on the legal requirements of moving to Spain and/or gaining Spanish citizenship.
For help with applying for a Spanish visa or a Spanish passport, call us at one of our offices in Spain, or email your query to clientservices@manzanareslawyers.com and we’ll be in touch.