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Comment by newswangerd | Hacker News Reader

I’ve always argued that the US is the most powerful passport despite not granting access to the most countries for one simple reason: it’s one of only half a dozen passports that lets you visit the US visa free.

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> it’s [US passport] one of only half a dozen passports that lets you visit the US visa free.

That is just false. EU passports can travel to USA Visa free and that’s 27 countries right there.

edit: Oh unless you count ESTA as a type of visa. You have to fill out a 5min always-approved form online.

I was counting the ESTA. I don’t have any experience with it, so you’ll have to pardon my ignorance.

Yeah I guess it depends on whether we mean practically or technically. EU countries travel to USA on a “visa waiver” so practically there are no restrictions. But technically you are issued a 90 day tourist visa upon arrival. The ESTA part was introduced to speed up processing by electronically submitting your info in advance so they can do a background check or whatever.

To build on that, I would say the most powerful passports/citizenships are the ones that let you live/work in your desired country. It may be different for different people. The ability to travel visa free to many places, while nice, doesn't always trump the right to abode in a particular place.

I would argue it's dangerous to be having US passport simply because US historically, has been in wars with of lot of countries and some people of such nations would be ready to kidnap one.

What are the others? Canada, I'm sure, who else?

Bermuda, Palau, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and subject to some rules, the Bahamas and a few British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean.

Canada, Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau. A very weird assortment of countries, aside from Canada.

https://www.passportindex.org/comparebyDestination.php?p1=us...

> A very weird assortment of countries, aside from Canada.

It's less weird if you know that the three Pacific island countries were formerly part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands which was administered by the US for decades following the Second World War and today have Compacts of Free Association with the US.

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