Australians wanting to travel overseas without a visa now have a greater choice of destinations than ever before, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.
Using data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), London-based investment migration consultancy firm Henley & Partners compared the visa-free access of 199 nations' passports to 227 locations around the world and ranked them based on travel freedom.
It found that Australian passport holders can travel to 189 of those destinations, either without needing a visa at all, or being able to obtain a visa, visitor's permit, or electronic travel authority (ETA) upon arrival.
Joining Japan and Singapore amongst the strongest passports, were European nations France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, with their respective passports gaining visa-free access to 194 destinations.
The Finnish, South Korean, and Swedish passports came a close second with visa-free access to 193 locations, while Australia was sixth, alongside New Zealand, Czechia, and Poland.
Source: SBS News
Countries Australians can travel to without a visa
Fifty European destinations, including Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, offer Australian tourists entry without a visa.
Australians looking to stay closer to home can travel visa-free to around a dozen places in Oceania, like the Cook Islands, Fiji, and New Zealand, and 14 in Asia including Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
More than 20 destinations in both the Americas and the Caribbean, such as Argentina, Mexico, Barbados, and Jamaica, don't require Australians to have a visa to enter.
For Australians keen to head to Africa, 17 locations including Botswana, Morocco, and Rwanda offer visa-free entry, as do five in the Middle East, including Qatar and Oman.
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malawi and Saudi Arabia are among the more than 40 places around the world where Australians can get a visa or visitor's permit on arrival, while ETAs are available upon entry to eight destinations including the United States, Canada, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Some countries on the visa-free list are ones right now, including Iran, Lebanon and Ukraine.
Israel and the Palestinian Territories are among the places Australians are urged to reconsider their need to travel to.
Countries Australians need a visa for
There are 37 destinations where Australian passport holders either must obtain a visa before departure or get pre-approval from the government for a visa upon arrival.
Over half are in Africa, including Ghana, South Sudan, and Uganda.
While Papua New Guinea and Nauru may be considered our neighbours, Australians will need a visa before they travel to either of them.
Cuba is now the only Caribbean nation on the list that requires Australian tourists to have visas, while Asia has seven including Afghanistan, China, and North Korea.
Australians planning a European holiday that takes in Azerbaijan or Russia will also need a visa before they head off, as will those travelling to Syria or Yemen in the Middle East, or Brazil or Chile in the Americas.
The most popular international travel destinations for Australians
New Zealand is the most popular international travel destination for Australian residents, according to .
Indonesia and the United States are the second and third most visited places, with the UK, India, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore, Japan, and Vietnam rounding out the top 10.
India and Vietnam are the only nations on that list that require Australian passport holders to secure a visa before they arrive.
