Want to hear some good news this morning? Here it is - the Irish Passport has been rated the 'strongest in the world' - for a whole host of reasons and not all to do with travel.

An international survey found that - if you can pick which country you want to live in and gain citizenship - Ireland is the number one choice.

The new 2025 global ranking issued by the Nomad Capitalist - a US-based tax and immigration consultancy that helps high earners decide on where they want to live - rates Irish citizenship at the very top, ahead of countries like Switzerland, Portugal, Malta, the Nordic countries and New Zealand. Our nearest neighbours, the UK, were down at 21st. The United States has dropped to 45th in the world.

And this is the very first time that the northern European country has held the solo No. 1 spot in the annual ranking from Nomad Capitalist. Ireland did come close in 2020, when it tied for the top spot alongside Luxembourg and Sweden but now we are out there on our own.

The international survey found that - if you can pick which country you want to live in and gain citizenship - Ireland is the number one choice. And that's proving to be true for a growing number of US citizens with Irish links - the so-called 'Trump Bump' in applications for citizenship saw a hefty 8,500 Yanks try for an Irish passport in the first two months of this year.

The authors of the global survey say Ireland has shot to the top of the most attractive country in the world to live in.

“Ireland shook up the rankings, thanks to the country’s strong international reputation, business-friendly tax policies, and overall citizenship flexibility,” said the company’s research associate Javier Correa.

There are other rankings that look at single issues such as the ability to travel without visas - but Nomad Capitalist are the only ones to analyze five key criteria when it comes to holding Irish citizenship:

  • Visa-free travel — 50%
  • Taxation — 20%
  • Global perception — 10%
  • Ability to hold dual citizenship — 10%
  • Personal freedom (freedom of the press, mandatory military service, etc.) — 10%

The high ratings that Ireland achieves on these factors mean having Irish citizenship or moving to Ireland is very attractive. You can see the complete list on the Nomad Capital site , just click here.

The company behind the survey says the factors allow people considering a different, or additional, passport to rate the “true value” of citizenships around the world, and ultimately to “go where they’re treated best,” according to the index.

This is the ninth edition of the list ranks 199 countries and territories using 20 sources, such as country tax authorities for tax rankings, and the World Happiness Report and the United Nations’ Human Development Index for perception rankings, according to the index.

Scores range from 10 to 50, except for the visa category, which is the number of countries that passport holders can enter without needing a visa.

In the complete survey, Greece (tied for 2nd), Slovenia (tied for 13th) and Spain (tied for 32nd) rose in the 2025 rankings, fueled by changes to each countries’ tax scores.

“In a turbulent year marked by shifting geopolitics and policy upheaval, Greece surged dramatically from sixth into joint second with Switzerland, reflecting its growing credibility among high-net-worth individuals, retirees, and global investors,” according to Nomad Capitalist.

However, other countries — including Lithuania, Netherlands, Germany and Hungary — moved down the ranking. Notably, the UAE — which was No. 1 in 2023 and tied for No. 6 in 2024 — moved to 10th place in 2025.

“Recently introduced taxes ... have tarnished [the UAE’s] allure for global entrepreneurs,” the report added.