International Visa Restrictions

Visa restrictions are imposed by countries to control the crossing of their borders. Almost all countries now require visas from certain non-citizens who wish to enter (or leave) their territory.

A visa does not guarantee entry, however. It merely indicates that your passport and visa application have been reviewed by a consular officer at an embassy or consulate of the country you wish to enter, and that the officer has determined that you are generally eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose.

A visa allows you to travel to the destination country as far as the port of entry (airport, seaport or land border crossing) and ask the immigration officer to allow you to enter the country. In most countries the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter. He or she usually also decides how long you can stay for any particular visit.

Visa Requirements

It is important to find out before travelling whether you need a visa to enter your destination or transit country.

While visa restrictions are primarily based on citizenship, the holding of a residence permit may also be of importance. For example, if you are resident in any EU country that is part of the Schengen zone, you may travel visa-free throughout that zone.

To check whether you need a visa, you can search the IATA database which is publicly available on a number of websites. Click here to go to such a website.

The Henley Visa Restrictions Index

The Henley Visa Restrictions Index is a global ranking of countries according to travel freedom their citizens enjoy. Henley & Partners has analyzed the visa regulations of all the countries and territories in the world. It has created an index which ranks countries according to the visa-free access its citizens enjoy to other countries. This is the first time that a global ranking shows the international travel freedom of the citizens of the various countries as well as the international relations and status of individual countries relative to others.

In today's globalized world, visa restrictions play an important role in controlling the movement of foreign nationals across borders. Almost all countries now require visas from certain non-nationals who wish to enter their territory. Visa requirements are also an expression of the relationships between individual nations, and generally reflect the relations and status of a country within the international community of nations.

The following is an overview of selected countries taken from the Henley Visa Restrictions Index - Global Ranking 2008:

Rank Score Rank Score
1 Denmark 157 14 Malta 139
2 Finland 156 24 Israel 118
2 Ireland 156 17 Hungary 131
2 Portugal 156 20 Argentina 127
3 Belgium 155 23 Brazil 122
3 Germany 155 26 Romania 115
3 Sweden 155 27 Mexico 114
3 United States 155 29 Croatia 108
4 Canada 154 35 South Africa 88
4 Italy 154 38 St. Kitts & Nevis 84
4 Japan 154 42 Turkey 75
4 Luxembourg 154 44 Dominica 71
4 Netherlands 154 53 Russian Federation 60
4 Spain 154 54 Taiwan 59
5 Austria 153 61 Thailand 52
5 Norway 153 61 United Arab Emirates 52
6 France 152 70 Saudi Arabia 42
6 United Kingdom 152 72 Bosnia and Herzegowina 40
7 Australia 151 75 India 37
8 New Zealand 150 78 Egypt 34
8 Singapore 150 79 China 33
9 Greece 149 82 Jordan 30
9 Switzerland 149 83 Korea, Dem People's Republic 29
10 Iceland 146 87 Pakistan 25
11 Malaysia 145 87 Iran 25
12 Korea, Republic of 144 88 Iraq 23
13 Liechtenstein 140 89 Afghanistan 22
14 Cyprus 139