According to Experts.news, Malta took first place in the ranking of the world’s most valuable passports according to the Nomad Passport Index 2026, compiled by Nomad Capitalist. The country scored 109 points, ahead of Ireland, Greece, and Romania, which tied for second place with 108 points.
Unlike traditional passport rankings, which primarily consider the number of visa-free destinations, the Nomad Passport Index evaluates citizenship more broadly—as a tool for global mobility, tax planning, personal freedom, and international reputation. The methodology uses five criteria: visa-free access, taxation of citizens, the country’s global reputation, the possibility of holding dual citizenship, and the level of personal freedoms.
The top ten of the ranking looks like this: Malta—1st place, Ireland, Greece, and Romania—2nd place, Cyprus—5th place, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Italy, and Bulgaria—6th place, Hungary and the UAE—10th place. Thus, the top of the ranking is dominated by European countries, particularly EU member states, which combine a high level of mobility, the ability to live and work within the single European area, and a relatively strong international reputation.
Malta scored 172 points for travel, 40 points for taxation, and the maximum 50 points for international perception, dual citizenship, and personal freedoms. This balance allowed it to take first place, despite the fact that it lags behind a number of other passports in terms of the number of visa-free destinations.
An interesting feature of the ranking was Romania’s high placement, which tied for second place with Ireland and Greece. Romanian citizenship received 108 points, including 172 points for travel, 40 points for taxation, 40 points for country perception, and top marks for dual citizenship and freedoms.
Singapore, which often ranks first in passport rankings for visa-free access, came in only 20th in the Nomad Passport Index. Its passport has a high travel score of 175, but a low score for dual citizenship limits the overall result. This highlights a key difference in the Nomad Capitalist ranking: it evaluates not only travel freedom but also the practical flexibility of citizenship for globally mobile people.
The U.S. ranked 43rd with 100 points. Despite strong international perception and a high level of mobility, U.S. citizenship receives a low score on the tax criterion, as the U.S. is one of the few countries in the world that taxes its citizens based on citizenship rather than residency alone.
