The Irish passport has been ranked as the third most powerful in the world, according to a new index.
The latest Henley Passport Index finds that Irish passport holders can travel to 192 destinations without the need for a visa.
Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands share joint third position with Ireland.
Six countries - including France, Germany, Spain and Italy - share the top spot with visa-free access to a record-breaking 194 destinations.
The UK comes in fourth.
In contrast those at other end of scale such as Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Pakistan can only travel to handful of countries without the need for a visa.
A wheeled suitcase on a luggage belt at an airport terminal. Image: catwalkphotos / Alamy Stock PhotoHenley & Partners Chairman Dr Christian Kaelin said the global mobility gap is now wider than ever.
"The average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024," he said.
"However, as we enter the new year, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa."
Biggest climbers
Australia and New Zealand passport holders have both improved their ranking to sit in sixth place with 189 visa-free destinations, while the US retains seventh place.
The UAE remains the biggest climber on the index over the past decade, adding an impressive 106 destinations to its visa-free score since 2014.
It has seen a leap of 44 places in the ranking from 55th to 11th position.
Ukraine and China are also among the top five countries with the most improved rankings over the past 10 years.
The index is based on official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
View the full interactive index here
