No visas for 45 countries ...

Accra, Feb. 3 (GHP) -- Ghanaian citizens can travel to 45 countries without obtaining a visa giving Ghana rank 94 in world scale, according to a study published Thursday.

Citizens of Ghana enjoy the sixth greatest freedom in Africa to travel without needing visas.

However, according to a Ghanaian diplomat, about 80 percent of the 45 countries are on the Africa continent.

The report compiled by Zurich-based firm Henley & Partners AG, puts Ghana at par with Zambia. Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Togo are 120 out of 195 countries or territories covered. The report says these citizens can travel to 35 countries without needing visas. Ivory Coast is at 111th has 37 countries to which its citizens can travel without a visa.

The best ranked African country is South Africa at 66 and restricted to 65 visa-free travels. Botswana , Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Kenya are the only other countries ranked above Ghana.

According to the report Denmark, Finland and the United States top the list of countries whose citizens enjoy the greatest freedom to travel without needing visas. The report found that Danes, Finns and Americans can travel to 130 countries or territories without a visa.

?In today?s globalized world, visas restrictions play an important role in controlling the movement of foreign nationals across borders,? said Henley & Partners, which advises private and business clients on international tax and real estate issues.

?Almost all countries now require visas from certain non-nationals who wish to enter their territory.?

At the end of the list, Afghanistan came in last place, with its citizens allowed free travel to just 12 countries. Iran was next at 14, followed by Iraq, Myanmar and Somalia at 15.

?Not surprisingly, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan score lowest,? the company added. Henley & Partners ? which compiled the results by assessing some 40,000 combinations of countries and territories ? said it was the first global ranking showing international freedom of travel.

?Visa requirements are also an expression of the relationships between individual nations, and generally reflect the relations and status of a country within the international community,? the company said. Countries and territories of the world, ranked according to how many other states their citizens can visit without requiring a visa.

1. Finland, 130; (tie) Denmark, 130; (tie) United States, 130;
4. Germany, 129; (tie) Ireland, 129; (tie) Sweden, 129;
7. Britain, 128; (tie) France, 128; (tie) Italy, 128; (tie) Japan, 128;
11. Belgium, 127; (tie) Norway, 127; (tie) Spain, 127; (tie) Switzerland, 127;
15. The Netherlands, 126;
16. Austria, 125; (tie) Canada, 125; (tie) Luxembourg, 125; (tie) New Zealand, 125;
20. Portugal, 123.
21. Singapore, 122;
22. Australia, 120; (tie) Greece, 120; (tie) Iceland, 120; (tie) Malaysia, 120;
26. Liechtenstein, 116;
27. South Korea, 115; (tie) Malta, 115;
29. Cyprus, 113;
30. Hong Kong, 110;
31. Chile, 109; (tie) San Marino, 109;
33. Monaco, 108; 34. Poland, 106;
35. Slovenia, 105; 36. Israel, 104;
37. Argentina, 101; (tie) Brunei, 101; (tie) Hungary, 101;
40. Andorra, 99; (tie) Brazil, 99; (tie) Uruguay, 99.
43. Czech Republic, 98; (tie) Mexico, 98; 45. Slovakia, 97;
46. Costa Rica, 95;
47. Lithuania, 94;
48. Venezuela, 92;
49. Estonia, 91; (tie) Latvia, 91;
51. Vatican City, 87;
52. Croatia, 84; 53. Bolivia, 83; (tie) Bulgaria, 83;
55. Guatemala, 82; (tie) Panama, 82; (tie) Paraguay, 82;
58. El Salvador, 81;
59. Honduras, 80;
60. Nicaragua, 75.
61. Romania, 73;
62. Barbados, 71; (tie) Bahamas, 71; (tie) Macau, 71;
65. Trinidad and Tobago, 66;
66. South Africa, 65;
67. St Vincent and Grenadines, 64;
68. St Lucia, 63; (tie) Antigua and Barbuda, 63;
70. St Kitts-Nevis, 62;
71. Grenada, 60;
72. Belize, 58;
73. Jamaica, 57;
74. Solomon Islands, 54;
75. Guyana, 53; (tie) Gambia, 53;
77. Dominica, 52; (tie) Mauritius, 52; (tie) Seychelles, 52; (tie) Turkey, 52.
81. Lesotho, 51;
82. Tuvalu, 50;
83. Kiribati, 49; (tie) Western Samoa, 49;
85. Botswana, 48; (tie) Malawi, 48;
87. Fiji, 47; (tie) Sierra Leone, 47; (tie) Vanuatu, 47; 90. Kenya, 46; (tie) Maldives, 46; (tie) Swaziland, 46; (tie) Tonga, 46;

94. Ghana, 45; (tie) Zambia, 45;

96. Nauru, 44;
97. Taiwan, 42;
98. Ecuador, 41; (tie) Namibia, 41; (tie) Papua New Guinea, 41; (tie) Peru, 41; (tie) Tanzania, 41; (tie) Zimbabwe, 41; 104. Suriname, 40; 105. Kuwait, 39; (tie) Uganda, 39; 108. Bahrain, 38; (tie) Mali, 38; (tie) Tunisia, 38.
111. Guinea, 37; (tie) Ivory Coast, 37; (tie) Niger, 37; (tie) Qatar, 37; (tie) Senegal, 37; 116. Benin, 36; (tie) Vape Verde, 37; (tie) Marshall Islands, 36; (tie) Oman, 36;
120 Burkina Faso, 36; (tie) Nigeria, 35; (tie) Russia, 35; (tie) Togo, 35; (tie) United Arab Emirates, 35;
125. Guinea-Bissau, 33; (tie) Micronesia, 33; (tie) Philippines, 33; 128. Belarus, 32; (tie) Colombia, 32; (tie) Palau Islands, 32; (tie) Serbia-Montenegro, 32; (tie) Ukraine, 32.
133. Liberia, 31; (tie) Macedonia, 31; (tie) Saudi Arabia, 31; 136. Morocco, 30;
137. Indonesia, 29; (tie) Moldova, 29; (tie) Thailand, 29; 140. Azerbaijan, 28; (tie) Bangladesh, 28; (tie) Central African Republic, 28; (tie) Georgia, 28; (tie) Kazakstan, 28; (tie) Kyrgyzstan, 28; 146. Armenia, 27; (tie) Chad, 27; (tie) Congo Brazzaville, 27; (tie) Cuba, 27; (tie) Tajikistan, 27; (tie) Egypt 27; 151. Cameroon, 26; 152. Bosnia and Hezegovina, 25; (tie) Dominican Republic, 25; (tie) India, 25; (tie) Madagascar, 25; 156. Egypt, 24; (tie) Gabon, 24; (tie) Mongolia, 24; (tie) Uzbekistan, 24. 160. Algeria, 23; (tie) Rwanda, 23; 162. Haiti, 22; (tie) Mozambique, 22; (tie) Sao Tome and Principe, 22; (tie) Sri Lanka, 22; 166. East Timor, 21; (tie) Jordan, 21; 168. Comores Islands, 20; (tie) Equatorial Guinea, 20; (tie) Eritrea, 20; (tie) Laos, 20; (tie) Nepal, 20.
173. Angola, 19; (tie) Bhutan, 19; (tie) Djibouti, 19; (tie) Libya, 19; (tie) Turkmenistan, 19; 178. Burundi, 18; (tie) China, 18; (tie) Ethiopia, 18; (tie) North Korea, 18; (tie) Vietnam, 18; (tie) Yemen, 18; 184. Albania, 17; (tie) Cambodia, 17; (tie) Lebanon, 17; (tie) Pakistan, 17; (tie) Sudan, 17; 189. Congo, 16; (tie) Syria, 16; 191. Iraq, 15; (tie) Myanmar, 15; (tie) Somalia, 15; 194. Iran, 14; 195. Afghanistan, 12.