Dominica and Grenada passports see ranking boost

• Posted on May 28, 2015
• In Dominica, Press releases, Grenada

The passports of Dominica and Grenada have received a major boost to their ranking in Arton Capital’s Passport Index, following the easing of visa restrictions on travel into the European Union (EU).

At a ceremony in Brussels today, EU signed short-stay visa waiver agreements with the Commonwealth of Dominica and Grenada allowing their citizens to visit the 22 Schengen member countries and microstates for up to 90 days in any given 180-day period. The decision also applies to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania but separate agreements are expected to be signed for Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

As a result, Dominica has added 30 points to a total visa-free score of 96 in Arton’s Passport Index boosting its new passport power ranking to 38th place, up from 52nd. Grenada has also added 30 points to a total visa-free score of 101 boosting its new ranking to 34th place, up from 48th.

The Passport Index is the world’s first online interactive tool, which collects, displays, and ranks the utility of passports around the world. Visitors of passportindex.org can discover the world’s passports on a map, by country name, by passport power rank and even by the color of their cover. The ranking is based on points accumulated for each country that the passport holder can travel visa-free. The country list is based on the 193 UN member countries and 6 territories for a total of 199. The territories annexed to other countries are excluded.

An immediate positive influence on Dominica and Grenada’s Arton Index rankings were evaluated, placing them ahead of their Caribbean peers. The Arton Index is the industry benchmark, which evaluates and ranks investor programs for residence and citizenship from an investor’s point of view. Both Dominica and Grenada have scored 75 points and share the first place.

Commenting, Armand Arton, president and CEO of Arton Capital said: “This was a decision Dominica and Grenada have been waiting to hear for some time and we expect it to be a catalyst in attracting increased foreign direct investments through their Citizenship by Investment programs.”

In addition to The Passport Index, Arton has numerous other interactive tools. The company also curates the Global Citizen Forum – the industry’s most innovative event, which brings together government representatives, global business leaders, high net worth individuals, and philanthropists to exchange on empowering global citizenship.