Turkey has risen seven places on a list of countries with the most powerful passports and now ranks 45th, according to the Henley Passport Index 2024.
The country was ranked 52nd in 2023.
Turkish citizens can travel to 116 countries visa-free, according to the index.
The passport index is compiled using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). For the purpose of the index, 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations were studied.
The Turkish passport is weaker than the passports of countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and Paraguay, while it has a better ranking than the passports of China, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, among others.
The Henley Passport Index is the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the IATA, which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information, and is enhanced by ongoing research by the Henley & Partners Research Department.
According to the index, which has been available since 2006, Turkey’s passport peaked in 2014, ranking 38th.
Turks frequently complain about the weakness of the Turkish passport as they have to obtain visas to visit many countries.
Although Turkey’s passport ranking has improved significantly, its visa problems, including the increasing rate of rejection of Schengen visa applications, have remained.
According to figures published by the European Commission, Turks lodged 1,055,885 Schengen visa applications, the second-highest number of applications after China, in 2023.
While visa applications from Turks increased by 36.5 percent in 2023 compared to a year earlier, Turks’ rejection rate, which was 15.7 percent in 2022, increased by six points to 21.7 percent in 2023.
Fees for a Schengen visa vary between 60 and 90 euros depending on the destination country. On top of the visa fees are many required documents for the Schengen visa, such as a round trip reservation and itinerary, travel insurance policy, proof of accommodation, proof of financial means and more.