Modern and legacy political and military relationships, business investment, and other factors weigh on the power of one’s passport, making the list of least and most welcoming countries globally highly dependent on your citizenship.  For example, a German passport holder gains access to more countries than travelers on Chinese or Senegalese passports.  However, that same German passport holder cannot visit Equatorial Guinea without a visa while a Chinese passport holder may enter. 

No matter your nationality, 12 countries will welcome you without a visa, making these countries the “most welcoming”, according to the Arton Capital's Passport Index. 

The list of most welcoming countries is dominated by African nations.  Despite visa-free access, only four—Cote d'Ivoire, Maldives, Mozambique, and Uganda—are relatively frequently visited by tourists.  Each has more than 1 million international tourist arrivals per year, which ranks them among the top 100 destinations in the world. 

On the flip side, think twice before booking tickets to Afghanistan, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, or Turkmenistan without a visa or other special documents (such as a diplomatic mission).  You could add Angola to this club as well; only citizens of Namibia may enter without a visa or other official permission. 

How powerful is your passport?  Explore the power of your passport here.