The Henley Passport Index has collated almost 200 passports from weakest to strongest, here’s how the UAE is doing.
The Henley Passport Index is a quarterly report which analyses just how many countries you can get into visa-free or on a visa-on-arrival basis with your respective passport.
It is this statistic which decides just how strong your passport is, how many places you can get into without the hassle of applying for a visa and digging up those elusive bank statements.
Back in 2009, a decade ago, the UAE passport was the 61st most powerful in the world, fast forward to 2019 though and it’s now the 20th most powerful passport in the world.
It’s no secret that the UAE as a whole has become a much more formidable global player over the last few years.
“Over the past five years, the UAE has more than doubled the number of destinations its citizens are able to travel to without a prior visa,” said the report.
Going from a quaint fishing port country to the massive trading and tourism hub it is now, as well as a focus on making the country more appealing to a global audience, has meant a lot more countries welcome Emirati citizens.
In 2018, countries like Brazil, Canada, Ireland, and Mexico all lifted visa requirements to Emirati citizens. In 2018, the passport was at 21st place. This year already both Russia and Uzbekistan have lifted visa requirements. There’s also electronic visas when going into Pakistan as of this year.
The Emirati passports success makes it the highest jumper of any passport on the list.
Among the strongest passports in the world are Japan and Singapore, with Finland, Germany and South Korea all close behind. The U.K. and U.S. are both sixth place.
Among the weakest are Pakistan, Palestine and Nepal, all of which are actually weaker than North Korea.
Take a look at the UAE visa map below:
Freedom of movement – Brown
Visa free access – Dark green
Visa on arrival – Lime green
eVisa – Teal
Visa available both on arrival or online – Green
Visa required – Grey
