Four tiers of entry procedure
Between "walk straight in" and "you must apply for a visa" sit several intermediate tiers. This is where the rankings diverge.
Board with your passport, get stamped on arrival. Nothing to apply for beforehand.
Applied for at the airport on arrival. Queue, fill the form, pay the fee — usually 15–30 minutes.
Filed online before you fly, approved automatically in minutes to hours. Essentially a pre-boarding check rather than a visa.
e-Visas come in two very different kinds, which most rankings lump together:
- Fully online — go to that country's portal, fill it in, upload a passport photo, pay, and get the approval by email within a few days.
- Online but with extra steps — still needs an appointment, fingerprints, original documents, or a long review. Closer to a traditional visa in practice.
QuocTich.com separates these two on each country list, because for an actual traveller they are nothing alike.
Filed at an embassy or consulate. Interviews, proof of funds, and waits measured in weeks.
Three common counting methods
Get Bangladeshi Passport 🇬🇩 Grenada as an example, using the data on this site:
| Counting method | What is included | Figures |
|---|---|---|
| Strict | visa-free + visa on arrival + eTA | 127 |
| In practice | strict + fully online e-visa | 138 |
| Published | Ranking by trade index — Henley Passport Index 2026 | 146 |
The whole gap sits in the e-visa group: this passport has 11 fully online e-visa applications and 24 e-visa with additional procedures. Lump both in and you get a high number; leave both out and you get a low one.
Why we do not pick a single number
Because which number is right depends on what you intend to do:
- Independent travel, booking close to departure — look at the strict. Even an easy e-visa still needs a few days for approval.
- Plan several weeks ahead — the in practice closer to reality.
- Compare against other people's marketing — use the published, and always ask which standard they used.
What about the Vietnamese passport
On the same counting method: 127 countries on the strict count, 138 countries if you include easy e-visas. See the full list for the Vietnamese passport.
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