This is the best passport for the globe-trotting elite
A consulting firm ranked passports from 199 countries on a handful of factors that appeal to wealthy people
CREATIVE: NABEEL AHMED
Want to live freely, enjoy visa-free travel and pay low taxes? It's simple, switch to a Swedish passport. At least that's the advice we've been handed after passports from 199 countries were ranked by a consulting firm.
Nomad Capitalist, a consulting firm ranked passports from 199 countries on a handful of factors that appeal to wealthy people who don't like to stay in one place for too long.
11 fun facts you didn't know about passports
Sweden came out on top of the list and Afghanistan last, while the United States didn't even manage the top 30 spots.
"Being a US citizen isn't all it's cracked up to be," Nomad Capitalist founder Andrew Henderson said in a video explaining the new index, which is meant to show the "true value of citizenship."
Passports of different countries were judged by how beneficial they were in terms of visa-free travel, global reputation, international taxes and the ability to hold dual or multiple citizenship as well as personal freedom.
Just under Sweden came Belgium, Spain, Italy and Ireland with other European nations making their mark in the top 10.
There's not much better you can do than a US passport when it comes to visa-free travel and personal freedoms, however, the list is not aimed at regular, middle-class travellers, but instead, it's a guide for rich people or the "high-achieving citizen", who may be looking for a second passport and the perks that come along with it.
Pakistani passport still second worst for international travel
The reason the US passport is not on top of the list could be attributed to the fact that the US taxes its citizens on all income regardless of where it is earned or where they live. Even Americans living abroad are subject to many regulations. Due to the heavy financial burden, a number of Americans were driven to renounce their citizenship in 2016.
Sweden, however, comes with no such baggage. Swedes can visit up to 176 countries without a visa and citizens also have the ability to escape tax by moving overseas.
This article originally appeared on CNN Money
Nomad Capitalist, a consulting firm ranked passports from 199 countries on a handful of factors that appeal to wealthy people who don't like to stay in one place for too long.
11 fun facts you didn't know about passports
Sweden came out on top of the list and Afghanistan last, while the United States didn't even manage the top 30 spots.
"Being a US citizen isn't all it's cracked up to be," Nomad Capitalist founder Andrew Henderson said in a video explaining the new index, which is meant to show the "true value of citizenship."
Passports of different countries were judged by how beneficial they were in terms of visa-free travel, global reputation, international taxes and the ability to hold dual or multiple citizenship as well as personal freedom.
Just under Sweden came Belgium, Spain, Italy and Ireland with other European nations making their mark in the top 10.
There's not much better you can do than a US passport when it comes to visa-free travel and personal freedoms, however, the list is not aimed at regular, middle-class travellers, but instead, it's a guide for rich people or the "high-achieving citizen", who may be looking for a second passport and the perks that come along with it.
Pakistani passport still second worst for international travel
The reason the US passport is not on top of the list could be attributed to the fact that the US taxes its citizens on all income regardless of where it is earned or where they live. Even Americans living abroad are subject to many regulations. Due to the heavy financial burden, a number of Americans were driven to renounce their citizenship in 2016.
Sweden, however, comes with no such baggage. Swedes can visit up to 176 countries without a visa and citizens also have the ability to escape tax by moving overseas.
This article originally appeared on CNN Money