The most powerful passports in the world revealed (and the ones that barely let you travel anywhere)

Owning a passport opens up a world of possibility and freedom for travellers - or so you would think.

In some countries around the world, even if you are lucky enough to have access to the government-issued documents, you are still restricted and barred from several countries.

Henley and Partners created a Visa Restrictions Index, which ranks countries globally in accordance to the travel freedom enjoy their inhabitants enjoy - with some surprising results.

The Visa Restrictions Index analyses countries ability to travel visa-free. The latest results were based on results from May 20, 2014

The Visa Restrictions Index analyses countries ability to travel visa-free. The latest results were based on results from May 20, 2014

Where it might be expected that countries such as North Korea and possibly Cuba could take the bottom spots for the most restricted travel freedom, they actually place at 86 and 69 respectively, from a ranking of a total of 94.

Each country was given a score by global consulting firm Henley and Partners, who specialise in residence and citizenship planning.

The score was calculated based on visa regulations of all countries and territories in the world, and the number of other countries that their citizens can travel to without having to obtain a visa.

Taking the lowest spots were Afghanistan (ranked at 94 and able to visit 28 countries visa-free), Iraq, (able to visit 31 countries), Pakistan and Somalia (able to visit 32 countries) and the Palestinian Territory (able to visit 35).

This was juxtaposed by Finland, Germany, Sweden, the UK and the US, in first position, who are able to access 174 countries visa-free.

1) Finland

= Germany

= Sweden

= USA

= United Kingdom (174 points)

2) Canada

= Denmark (173 points)

3) Belgium

= France

= Italy

= Japan 

= Korea (Republic of South)

= Luxembourg

= Netherlands

= Portugal

= Spain (172 points)  

Henley and Partners said: 'In today's globalised 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.

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