A Ranking Of The Most Welcoming Countries In 2023 Dropped & Canada's Score Is Reassuring

When it comes to measuring the most welcoming countries around the globe, there's really no formula to follow to land on one specific destination. However, according to the Passport Index, there's a sure way to answer this seemingly impossible question. The most welcoming countries are those with the least strict border restrictions.

Passport Index ranked the most welcoming countries in 2023 based on how many passports each country accepts visa-free, with visa on arrival or with eTA. The study lists a total of 83 positions, with several positions including multiple countries, ranked from the most welcoming to least welcoming.

Canada ranked in the 68th position — falling into the "least welcoming" category. Australia (69), the United States and Iraq (70), Mali (71) and China (72) all followed.

Despite scoring among the lowest position, Canada's rank indicates the country is stringent on who can and cannot enter the country. For those who do enter the country, it's safe to say that the people would be regarded as extremely welcoming and polite — I mean, the stereotype about Canadians being so nice doesn't exist for nothing.

The "most welcoming" countries according to Passport Index include Tuvalu, Malawi, Bolivia, Guinea, Angola and Samoa, to name a few, all of which landed in the number one position.

Seychelles, Suriname, Mauritania, and Uganda, among others, landed second. Madagascar, Dominica and Palau (3), Malaysia (4), and Lesotho (5) rounded off the top five.

In the 83rd and final position, at the top of the "least welcoming" leaderboard are North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.