UAE passport ranked among world’s most powerful with access to 185 countries
185-country access puts the Emirates ahead of all other Arab nations
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made a remarkable leap on the global stage, now holding the 8th most powerful passport in the world.
According to the 2025 edition of the Henley Passport Index, Emirati passport holders can travel to 185 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance. This impressive figure places the UAE alongside Canada and Estonia, both of which share the same rank.
The country’s surge in passport strength has been nothing short of dramatic. A decade ago, the UAE sat at 42nd place, granting access to just 35 destinations without a visa. Since then, it has climbed 34 spots – the largest rise recorded over that period – due to aggressive diplomatic engagement and successful negotiations for visa waivers.
Henley & Partners, the global citizenship advisory firm behind the index, uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to assess visa-free access to 227 destinations worldwide. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the index, attributes the UAE’s success to “years of consistent efforts to build reciprocal visa agreements”.
Top 10 passports
Singapore continues to dominate the Henley Passport Index, with its citizens enjoying visa-free access to 193 destinations. Close behind are Japan and South Korea, each tied for second place with access to 190 destinations. A group of seven EU nations – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, Denmark, and Ireland – hold third place with 189 destinations.
Explore the latest Henley Passport Index, the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.https://t.co/TAXk5eXOrx pic.twitter.com/i3xWCasuUp
— Henley & Partners (@HenleyPartners) July 22, 2025
Other countries in the top 10 include Sweden, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Austria in fourth place with access to 188 countries, followed by New Zealand, Greece and Switzerland in fifth with 187. The United Kingdom now ranks 6th with visa-free access to 186 destinations, and the United States, once a chart-topper, has slipped to 10th with access to 182 countries — its lowest position in two decades.
The UAE remains the highest-ranked nation in the Middle East and the only country from the region in the global Top 10.
Middle East momentum
Gulf nations have made notable progress in the 2025 rankings. Saudi Arabia has added four destinations to its visa-free list, now totalling 91 and lifting the kingdom to 54th place. Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar follow closely, ranked 56th, 55th, and 47th respectively.
A major contributor to regional mobility gains is China’s recent policy shift. In 2025 alone, China granted visa-free access to all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, as well as several Latin American and European countries. This expansion lifted China to 60th place, up 34 spots over the past decade, mirroring the UAE’s rise.
India also climbed the ranks, moving up eight places to 77th, despite adding just two more destinations to its visa-free access list.
Where do UK and US stand?
While Gulf and Asian countries are on the rise, traditional Western powers continue to fall. The United States, which once led the index in 2014, has now dropped to the edge of the Top 10. Canada has also slipped to 10th, while the United Kingdom has declined from 1st place in 2015 to 6th this year.
Venezuela experienced the sharpest drop, falling 15 places to 45th. The downward trend is also reflected in countries like Vanuatu (-6), Canada (-4), and the UK (-5). Analysts link this shift to increasingly restrictive immigration policies and limited diplomatic activity in the field of mobility agreements.
Henley & Partners CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen notes that citizens of declining passport powers are actively seeking secondary citizenship or residence options. “We’re witnessing a marked rise in interest from American and British nationals who want broader access and security in an era of growing geopolitical uncertainty.”
Openness and travel trends
The Henley Openness Index, a companion measure, shows how receptive countries are to visitors. China has made significant progress here too, jumping from fewer than 20 visa-free countries five years ago to 75 today. This includes key additions like Brazil, Argentina, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
IATA data shows that the Asia-Pacific region is leading global travel growth, with airlines in the region posting 9.5% growth in the first five months of 2025. This is contrasted by North America’s flat demand, with domestic travel down 1% despite a modest 1.8% uptick in international routes.
More than 80 countries have improved their rankings over the past decade, and the average number of destinations accessible without a visa has risen from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.