As international travel slowly picks up and people the world over are following their wanderlust once more, there’s good news for holders of a UAE passport. The Emirates’ passport has held on to its spot amongst the top 20 powerful passports according to the Henley Passport Index.
The latest ranking by the global index shows that the UAE has retained its position as the 15th most powerful passport in the world with a score of 176. Simply put, it means Emirati travellers can visit over 176 countries without the hassles of visa applications and tedious paperwork. The mighty UAE passport makes travel a breeze with visa-free or visa-on-arrival in these countries.
It’s also the only Arab nation in the top 20 powerful passports. That’s another feather in the UAE’s cap.
How does the ranking work?
The Henley Passport Index is the most trusted and authoritative rating of passports of every country in the world. It rates the strength of a passport based on the number of destinations a particular passport holder can access without a prior visa. The ranking system evaluates 199 passports and 227 travel destinations based on exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
UAE emerges as post Covid-19 champion
According to the latest rankings released by the study, the UAE passport has grown stronger despite the travel industry being brought to its knees by the pandemic. Where the UAE passport ranked #20 in 2019 just before the pandemic hit, it moved up five points in January 2022. It has stuck to the spot in July 2022 too. The UAE shares the honour of being the 15th most powerful passport in the world with Cyprus.
What does a powerful passport mean for the country?
Besides being a ticket to the rest of the world for its citizens, a powerful passport also indicates a country’s international status and the economic and diplomatic influence it wields.
There’s much cause for celebration – this has been the UAE’s highest-ever score since the passport ranking index was established in 2006.
The fact that the UAE passport has grown #61 in 2009 to #15 in 2022 is proof of the meteoric growth and global prominence the country has achieved in just 50 years!
These are the other countries that made it to the top 15 rankings of the Henley Passport Index
1. Japan
2. Singapore and South Korea
3. Germany and Spain
4. Finland, Italy and Luxembourg
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, and Sweden
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, and the UK
7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the US
8. Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, and Malta
9. Hungary
10. Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia
11. Estonia, Latvia, and Slovenia
12. Iceland
13. Malaysia
14. Lichtenstein
15. The UAE and Cyprus
Click here to see the whole list.