God has elevated me - Ghanaian-turned-Dutch celebrates holding 'visa-free' passport

Kofi Gabs, alias Mr. Happiness is now a Dutch citizen

A Ghanaian by birth who recently renounced his citizenship to become a Dutch has described his new nationality as a case of divine elevation.

Kofi Gabs, alias Mr Happiness, this week completed processes that secured him Dutch citizenship. He has been living in the Netherlands since 2018.

Among other things, he confirms formally switching to using a Dutch passport and ditching Black Stars for The Orange - the Dutch national team - when it comes to supporting football teams.

In his latest video posted on social media (May 10, 2024), he disclosed that despite his new nationality, he was still in love with Ghanaian dishes, especially banku and tilapia.

He addressed the issue of migration and how his travel dreams have become even easier citing the visa-free strength of his new passport in the video posted on X.

"If I want to travel outside Ghana, be it to Europe, the US or UK, it won't be possible, it is a process and I have to go through an Embassy. Even with that, I have been denied visas for about seven times," he said recounting his experiences.

"Today, I am a citizen of the Netherlands, a passport holder who can travel the world without a visa. I am so happy. God has elevated me because I won't struggle with travel. Travelling is thrilling and here I am with a visa-free passport. The rest of my life will be filled with happiness," he stressed.

How powerful is the Dutch passport

According to Latitude Residency and Citizenship website, the Dutch passport is the second most powerful travel document in the world.

"We rank the Netherlands passport as number 2 in the world in line with our Passport Index ratings. As a Netherlands citizen, you’ll be able to travel visa-free to 180 countries.

"To gain access to all other countries, you and your family as Netherlands passport holders will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or visa online in advance. Certain countries will allow you to apply for a visa on arrival."