Vietnam's passport climbs two places in global rankings. Illustrative photo
At this ranking, Vietnamese passport holders can enter 50 destinations without a visa or with an e-visa, visa on arrival or Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), out of a total of 227 travel destinations worldwide.
Visa-free or simplified access includes several Asean countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar and Malaysia, as well as island states including Cape Verde, the Comoros, the Cook Islands and the Maldives.
Vietnamese travellers can also apply for an ETA to visit Kenya, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste.
Vietnam previously recorded its highest passport ranking at 78th for two consecutive years in 2006 and 2007.
In the latest index, Singapore retained the top position with a score of 193. South Korea and Japan ranked second and third respectively.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland shared fourth place, each scoring 187.
Earlier this year, the Vietnamese government issued a resolution granting visa exemptions to citizens of 12 countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Citizens of these countries are permitted to stay in Vietnam for up to 45 days from the date of entry, regardless of passport type or purpose of visit, provided they meet Vietnam’s legal entry requirements.
The visa exemption policy will be in effect from March 15, 2025 to March 14, 2028, with a possible extension subject to legal provisions. The move is the government’s latest step to ease visa rules and stimulate tourism.
