UAE passport becomes 12th most powerful in the world

By Aishwarya Nair  |  First Published Jul 19, 2023, 12:19 PM IST

Henley & Partners' most recent ranking is based on confirmed data provided by the International Air Transport Association (Iata). Singapore passport is the most powerful in the world with access to 192 countries without a prior visa.


With its international standing rising by three points, the UAE passport continues to be the strongest in the area. It is currently the 12th most powerful passport in the world. According to the most recent Henley Passport Index, which was released late on Tuesday, UAE passport holders can travel to 179 countries without a visa before flights, compared to 176 in July 2022 and 178 at the end of last year.

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“The UAE has added an impressive 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013, resulting in a massive leap of 44 places in the ranking over the past 10 years from 56th to 12th position. This is almost double the next biggest climber, Colombia, which has enjoyed a jump of 28 places in the ranking to sit in 37th spot,” said Dr Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index as reported by Khaleej Times.

The second-strongest passport in the GCC is held by Qatar, which is ranked 52nd globally, ahead of Kuwait (54), Bahrain (59), Oman (60), and Saudi Arabia (61).

Singapore's citizens can travel to 192 of the world's 227 countries and territories without a visa, making it the most powerful passport in the world. With visa-free access to 190 locations, Germany, Italy, and Spain move up to second place, while holders of Japanese passports join people from six other countries — Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden — in third place with access to 189 locations.

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