BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, January 8. Kyrgyzstan's passport has been ranked as third best among the Central Asian countries, as of the beginning of January 2024, Trend reports.
The VisaGuide.World Passport Index data shows that, the Kyrgyz passport (132-nd globally) allows the country's citizens to travel to 27 countries without needing a visa, but for the rest of the countries, they must apply for a visa before their trip.
Among the Central Asian countries, Kyrgyzstan ranks 3rd, after Kazakhstan (110th position globally) and Uzbekistan (129th). Tajikistan (140th) and Turkmenistan (167th) are at the bottom of the list.
For visa-free travel, Kyrgyz citizens still need a valid passport, typically valid for at least six months after their departure date. Additionally, they must purchase travel health insurance as required by the country they're visiting.
Five countries offer eVisas to Kyrgyz passport holders, and Kyrgyz citizens can obtain visas upon arrival for 33 countries. However, they require a valid visa to enter 151 other countries.
The VisaGuide Passport Index uses a factor called the Destination Significance Score (DSS) to rank passports. This score combines various factors such as entry requirements set by the destination country, the country's GDP, safety, Human Development Index (HDI) and more. Kyrgyzstan’s passport score was 22.52, as of beginning of January 2024.
As per the VisaGuide Passport Index, the Spanish passport was considered the most powerful passport globally, followed by German, Singaporean, Italian, and French passports, completing the top-five list of the strongest passports for the beginning of 2024.
The VisaGuide World Passport Index assesses and ranks passports from 199 countries and territories based on different factors to determine their overall strength and global travel access.