Revealed: World’s most and least powerful passports

The UAE has been ranked as having the fourth most powerful passport in the world, according to the global ranking on Passport Index.

The Passport Index, run by Arton Capital, collects, displays and ranks the passports from around the world.

The ranking uses a three-tier method to determine the individual rank of each passport which is mainly based on its visa-free score (based on how many countries can be visited visa-free and with a visa on arrival).

With a ‘visa free’ score of 162, the UAE ranks as the most ‘powerful’ passport in the GCC region, according to the latest rankings. Emirati passport holders can travel to 113 without visas and receive visas on arrival in 49 countries. They require visas for 36 nations.

The UAE has been exerting efforts to strengthen the stature of its passport and has signed visa waiver agreements with Canada, China, Guyana, Tonga, Congo, Ireland, Paraguay and Guinea this year.

Looking wider at the GCC region, Kuwait is ranked second, with a ‘visa free’ score of 95, followed by Qatar (88), Bahrain (84), Oman (81) and Saudi Arabia (79).

Also read: Revealed: World’s top 10 best and worst passports for travel in 2018

Most powerful passports

1. Germany, Singapore
Visa free score: 165

2. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, US
Visa free score: 164

3. Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Japan, Greece, Switzerland, UK, Ireland, Canada
Visa free score: 163

4. Czech Republic, Hungary, UAE   
Visa free score: 162

5. Malta, Malaysia, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia
Visa free score: 161

6. Slovenia, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Latvia
Visa free score: 160

7. Estonia
Visa free score: 159

8. Romania, Bulgaria
Visa free score: 157

9. Cyprus, Liechtenstein
Visa free score: 156

10.  Croatia, Monaco
Visa free score: 155

Least powerful passports

1. Afghanistan
Visa free score: 31

2. Iraq
Visa free score: 34

3. Pakistan
Visa free score: 36

4. Syria
Visa free score: 37

5. Somalia
Visa free score: 39

6. Yemen
Visa free score: 41

7. Iran 
Visa free score: 42

8. Sudan, Lebanon 
Visa free score: 43

9. Bangladesh, Palestinian territories, Ethiopia
Visa free score: 44

10. Eritrea
Visa free score: 45