Canadian passport ranking slips as travel freedom falls to 37th globally

Canada's passport strength has declined according to the 2026 Global Passport Index released this week by Global Citizen Solutions, a London-based residency and citizenship advisory firm. Canada placed 13th overall, slipping out of the global top 10 for the first time in years—a drop shared by the United States and New Zealand.

The ranking measures three factors: travel freedom, investment appeal, and quality of life. Canada still scores well on quality of life (8th globally) and investment (22nd), but travel freedom drags the country down to 37th. Canadian passport holders can enter 181 countries without a visa, down from 184 in July 2025. The index weights destinations by desirability and accounts for reciprocal access, so the 37th ranking reflects broader geopolitical patterns rather than a simple count of visa-free entries.

The United States fell much harder. Once ranked first as recently as 2021, the U.S. tumbled to 12th—the steepest decline of any G7 country in the index's history. American travel freedom plummeted from 10th to 41st after countries like Brazil reinstated visa requirements for American travelers.

Sweden holds the top spot for a third consecutive year, with nine of the top 10 passports belonging to European countries. Singapore is the only non-European nation in the top 10, ranking first globally for pure travel freedom.