For the fourth year in a row, the Passport Index has named the United Arab Emirates passport as the most powerful passport in the world.
The UAE topped the charts, boasting an impressive mobility score of 180. This allows its citizens access to more than 90 per cent of the world.
Of the 198 countries issuing visas, a UAE citizen can visit 133 of them visa-free and can avail visa on arrival in 47 countries. They require obtaining a prior visa for only 18 countries.
Spain moved up ahead of Germany and was a close second with a mobility score of 179. However, it remained below the UAE as Spanish citizens get visas on arrival in 45 countries and need prior visas to visit 19 countries, even though they can travel to 134 countries visa-free.
European countries continue to dominate the Index, with 19 of the top 20 most powerful countries located in Europe.
Finland jumped ahead of France and Italy to take third place. France also scored 178 mobility points and continues to be the strongest passport of the G20 nations.
Kosovo was the standout rising nation this year, gaining an impressive 35 points in its mobility score. This was mainly due to the country joining the Schengen zone at the start of the year.
The United States and the United Kingdom continue to slide down the ranks. The UK, which was among the top 10 as recently as 2017, dropped 10 places from 22nd to 32nd.
The US passport slipped to 38th in the Index in 2024 from 27th last year. It remains to be seen how President Donald Trump’s re-election will affect the US passport, but it is currently the weakest passport in the G7 group of nations.
The Chinese passport ranks 110th in the Index.
In terms of visa-free entries, Singapore continues to be on top with 138 countries exempting the Island country citizens. However, with a visa on arrival in 36 countries and a prior visa required for 24, the Singapore passport was 30th in the Passport Index with a mobility score of 174.
South Korea lost its spot in the top 20, falling from 17th to 21st. Despite this, South Korea’s passport remains the strongest in Asia, closely followed by Japan (25th place) and Singapore (30th place).
Among other GCC countries, Qatar was 95th (76 visa-free, 44 visa on arrival and 78 visa required), followed by Kuwait at 96th (62/50/86). Saudi Arabia was in 100th position (57/46/95).
Hrant Boghossian, co-founder of the Passport Index, commented: “The World Openness Score remained flat this year – the post-Covid recovery jump we noticed in the past few years is truly over.
“Unsurprisingly, European passports are overwhelmingly the best ranked, ahead of larger economies like the United States and China. Nearly all countries in the Balkans experienced growth in their mobility this year, a positive trend in the region we hope will continue.
“Geopolitical factors, including elections and conflicts, continue to influence global mobility. Despite this, we are still seeing countries collaborate and governments recognise the opportunities that visa-free agreements represent.”
The five least powerful passports in the world were Syria (mobility score 40 and visa required in 158 countries), Afghanistan (41/157), Iraq (46/152), Somalia (46/152) and Pakistan (47/151).
The Monteal, Canada-based Passport Index by Arton Capital is in its 10th year of operation.
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