The Global Passport Power Ranking (Global Passport Power Rank) for the beginning of 2025 shows CIS countries lagging far behind the world leaders. Among the post-Soviet states, Kyrgyzstan ranked 65th, offering its citizens visa-free access to 30 countries.

Let us remind you that the strength of a passport depends on how developed a country is and what kind of relations it has with other states. If a country has a strong economy, good politics and many visa-free countries for its citizens, then the passport of such a country is considered ‘strong’.

Russia ranks 38th with 84 countries, Moldova is ranked 39th with access to 79 countries, Kazakhstan is 51st (46 countries) and Belarus is 52nd (47 countries). Neighbouring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan shared 65th place, behind Armenia (60th) and Azerbaijan (57th).

By comparison, the United Arab Emirates passport topped the ranking, granting visa-free access to 133 countries. Other leaders include France, Germany and the United States, which significantly surpass the CIS countries in terms of passport mobility.