Most countries require foreigners to get visas before entry, but some passports allow visa purchase at the airport, or don’t require a visa at all. Some countries’ passport holders need to apply months in advanced for a visa for travel, and the allowed time period can range from two weeks to two years.

Arab passports tend to be lower on the international scale – as of 2015, Lebanese passport holders can only travel to 39 countries without a visa, the majority of which are from what’s refered to as the developping world. Egyptians can now travel to 52 countries visa-free. In comparison, citizens of the USA can travel to 176 of the 196 countries in the world.

A visa application involves detailing one’s exit and entry plans, registering all the information one might find on a CV, the visitor’s daily itinerary in that country, and a number of other highly personal questions to determine whether or not he or she is allowed in that country. Applications also come with a hefty fee – not always refundable, even if the visa is rejected.

Global financial advisory firm Arton Capital created a passport index that allows you to sort passports for countries around the world by a “passport power rank.” The ranking is calculated by how many countries passport holders can visit without an advance visa, or by purchasing a visa on arrival.

Unsurprisingly, the ranking places the US and UK passports first, with access to the aforementioned 147 countries without a visa. Naturally, the most developed economies dominate the top of the list. The top ten include:

1. USA (147 countries)

2. UK (147)

3. France (145)

4. South Korea (145)

5. Germany (145)

6. Italy (144)

7. Denmark (143)

8. Singapore (143)

9. Finland (143)

10. Japan (143)

The passports with the lowest power rankings are:

171. Solomon Islands (20 countries)

172. Myanmar (20)

173. South Sudan (20)

174. Sao Tome and Principe (20)

175. The Palestinian Territories (20)

How powerful is your passport?