Sarah Khan
Image credit: Flickr
Move over, Singapore – the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now home to the world’s most powerful passport, according to the latest Passport Index ranking.
The UAE passport currently grants its citizens entry into a total of 167 countries according to the Passport Index, a real-time ranking of the strength of passports from the 193 member countries of the United Nations.
But What Exactly Makes for a Strong Passport?
Well, the ranking is essentially a holistic score of how many countries a passport grants entry into without a visa or visa-upon-arrival, as well as the number of countries it would require visas for entry.
In this refreshed index, Singapore came in second, with Germany at third. Our little red dot currently offers visa-free entry to 166 countries without a prior visa or visa upon arrival. (In comparison, the global average score is 102.)
Also Read: “What’s The Reason Behind Your Passport Colour?”
Image credit: Flickr
It’s worth noting that these rankings often change due to the, well, fluid nature of diplomatic relationships between countries. There are also other similar rankings to take into account. Just earlier in October, the Henley Passport Index ranked Japan as having the strongest passport, granting its citizens entry to 190 countries with a visa or visa upon arrival.
Besides being regularly updated to reflect changes in the visa-waiver agreements between countries, the Henley Passport Index also identifies countries which showed the greatest jump in visa-free travel for its citizens, among which include the UAE.
Surprised at the ranking results? Singapore might not have clinched the top spot this time, but hey – no. 2 is still not too shabby.
Also Read: “The Singapore Passport is Now the Most Powerful in the World – How Did This Happen?”
