Swiss citizenship - Issue #5: Passport Power

There is a website that ranks passports by the number of countries allowing visa free entry to those holding a particular passport (http://www.passportindex.org/index.php).  It’s a lot of fun to stroll around in, you should try it some time.  Last year, the US was tied with the UK at number one but things have changed.  Now we’re in an eight-way tie for 3^rd and Germany has ascended to the top spot.   No clarification yet on the reason behind our tumble but it could be the first consequence of tomorrow’s inauguration of the Obergroper.  The UK probably has Brexit to thank.  Switzerland is one of the eight we’re now tied with but what really matters for our family is what it gets us that we don’t already have so I drilled down further and learned that this means Brazil,  Venezuela and (chuckle) North Korea.  Since my name isn’t Dennis Rodman, I’ve no plans to visit Pyongyang and the other two, while important countries to be sure,  are not going to drive my decision strongly in one direction or another.   There is a practical advantage, however.  When entering the Schengen area (the group of European countries covered by the treaty of that name) a Swiss or EU passport allows you to stand in what is usually a much shorter line.  Americans get shunted to the “’rest of the world” line (where the British will find themselves shortly), which invariably moves slowly for a host of reasons, not the least of which is people who can speak neither English nor German.