The Value of Fiji Passport: How Does It Measure Up
A passport is an essential travel document that grants freedom of movement to its holder. It is an official government-issued document that identifies the holder as a citizen of a particular country. The value of a passport is determined by its ability to permit visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival, or offer access to a visa-waiver program.
The Power of the Passport
The Henley Passport Index is a comprehensive ranking system that measures the strength of passports based on the number of countries a holder can visit without needing a visa or with online visa applications. The index ranks passports based on real-time data and yses the world’s 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. In the 2021 Henley Passport Index, the Fiji passport ranks 84th, allowing its holders visa-free travel or visa-on-arrival access to 86 destinations worldwide.
The Visa-Free Travel Destinations
The Fiji passport holders can visit 55 countries without a prior visa, including popular tourist destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines, to name a few. It can also provide visa-on-arrival access to a further 31 destinations, including the Maldives, Nepal, Thailand, and Bangladesh.
Limitations of the Fiji Passport
While the Fiji passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to be a respectable number of destinations worldwide, it lags behind other countries in the South Pacific region. For example, the New Zealand passport ranks 7th in the Henley Passport Index, with visa-free access to 129 destinations worldwide. Similarly, the Australian passport ranks 9th, with 125 visa-free travel destinations.
One limitation of the Fiji passport is its restricted access to Schengen countries, a group of 26 European nations that have abolished passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders. Only passengers with a visa or residency in a Schengen country can enter or transit through a Schengen area airport. Fiji citizens can apply for a Schengen visa, provided they meet the requirements for their particular destination country.
The Access to Visa-waiver Programs
Fiji is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional intergovernmental organization comprising 18 member countries and territories. Through this membership, Fiji passport holders can access the Australia Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) and the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) visa-waiver programs. The ETA and NZeTA allow Fiji citizens to visit and transits through Australia and New Zealand, respectively, for up to three months at a time and for multiple visits.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Fiji passport is a valuable travel document, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to several countries worldwide. Despite its limitations, Fiji citizens can still apply for visas to visit countries where visa-free travel or visa-on-arrival access is not available. Fiji’s inclusion in the Pacific Islands Forum provides access to visa-waiver programs, which further increases the value of the passport.
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