The UAE continues to stand out as the Arab nation with one of the most powerful passports globally. This year, the UAE continued to stand out among the top risers, shooting up 34 places over the last 10 years from 42nd to 8th place, making it the only big riser to break into the top 10 in the ranking.
UAE passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 184 destinations out of 227 globally.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, the inventor of the passport index concept, says the latest Henley Passport Index reveals an increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility. “The consolidation we’re seeing at the top underscores that access is earned — and must be maintained — through active and strategic diplomacy. Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements continue to rise, while the opposite applies to those that are less engaged in such efforts.”
Asian nations lead the global mobility race
According to the latest Henley Passport Index, Singapore holds the crown as the world’s most powerful passport, with visa-free access to 193 destinations out of 227 globally. Asian nations continue to lead the global mobility race, with Japan and South Korea sharing 2nd place, each granting their citizens access to 190 destinations visa-free.
A strong European contingent occupies the rest of the top 5. Seven EU passports share 3rd place — Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, all with access to 189 destinations.
Another seven-nation European cohort, with visa-free entry to 188 destinations, is joint 4th — Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden — while New Zealand, the only nation to challenge the regional dominance, ties in 5th place with Greece and Switzerland.
India records the largest jump
The U.K. and U.S. have each dropped a place in the global passport rankings since January, continuing a long-term downward trend. Once the most powerful passports in the world — the UK in 2015 and the US in 2014 — they now rank 6th and 10th, respectively. The U.K. currently has visa-free access to 186 destinations, while the U.S. trails with 182. Notably, the U.S. is now on the brink of exiting the top 10 altogether for the first time in the index’s 20-year history.
Meanwhile, India has recorded the largest jump in ranking over the past six months, climbing eight places from 85th to 77th, despite only adding two destinations to its visa-free tally, now at 59.
Where does the GCC stand?
The UAE passport tops all GCC and Arab passports, according to the latest data. Qatar’s passport ranks 47th, giving its citizens access to 112 destinations without a visa, while Kuwait’s passport ranks 50th globally, giving its holders visa-free access to 100 destinations.
Saudi Arabia has made the biggest gain in visa-free access, adding four destinations since January. Its total now stands at 91, lifting the kingdom four places to 54th.
Meanwhile, Bahrain occupies the 55th place, giving its citizens access to 90 destinations, and Oman ranks 56th, giving its citizens access to 88 destinations without a visa.
Read: UAE becomes safest country in the world in 2025, climbing one spot in mid-year review
The top 10 most powerful passports
According to the Henley Passport Index, the 10 most powerful passports globally are:
1. Singapore — 193
2. Japan and South Korea — 190
3. Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain — 189
4. Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden — 188
5. Greece, New Zealand and Switzerland — 187
6. United Kingdom — 186
7. Australia, Czechia, Hungary, Malta and Poland — 185
8. Canada, Estonia and the UAE — 184
9. Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia — 183
10. Iceland, Lithuania and the United States — 182
At the other end of the global mobility spectrum, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the ranking, with its citizens able to access just 25 destinations without a prior visa — a staggering mobility gap of 168 destinations between the top and bottom-ranked passports.
