The world’s most powerful passports for 2024 have been revealed – and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) tops the charts for the fourth year in a row.
The global ranking indicates the number of countries citizens around the world can enter visa-free. Those living in the UAE have access to more than 90 per cent of the world and are able to visit 133 countries visa-free and 47 by virtue of a visa on arrival.
The rest of the top 20 is dominated by European countries, with 19 of the top 20 most powerful countries located in Europe.
Spain overtakes Germany (5th) to become the second most powerful passport in the world, while Finland jumps into third place ahead of France (4th), Belgium (6th) and Italy (7th). France’s passport remains the strongest of the G20 nations.
The UK ontinues to slide down the ranking, dropping 10 places from 22nd to 32nd in 2024. UK passport holders are able to visit 125 countries visa-free and 49 by virtue of a visa on arrival. It last held a place in the top 10 in 2017.
The USA also sees its passport fall further in the index, falling from 27th to 38th. U.S citizens can visit 123 countries without a visa and 50 by virtue of a visa on arrival. The U.S last held a top 20 ranking in 2019.
Arton Capital, which produced the ranking, says in a statement: ‘With the new Trump administration incoming, it remains to be seen what steps the U.S will take to stop the downgrade of its once-great passport. Currently the weakest passport in the G7group of nations, Trump’s incoming administration has all the motivations to make the U.S passport great again.’
However, the American passport remains more powerful than its ‘greatest competitor’, China, whose passport ranks at 110 in the power index.
MOST POWERFUL PASSPORTS
1 . UAE (most powerful)
2. Spain
3. Finland
4. France
5. Germany
6. Belgium
7. Italy
8. Denmark
9. Netherlands
10. Luxembourg
11. Austria
12. Portugal
13. Norway
14. Switzerland
15. Greece
16. Ireland
17. Sweden
18. Poland
19. Hungary
20. Czech Republic
21. South Korea
22. Estonia
23. Croatia
24. Slovakia
25. Japan
26. Slovenia
27. Latvia
28. New Zealand
29. Liechtenstein
30. Singapore
31. Malta
32. UK
33. Canada
34. Lithuania
35. Romania
36. Bulgaria
37. Australia
38. USA
39. Iceland
40. Cyprus
41. Malaysia
42. Monaco
43. Brazil
44. Argentina
45. Chile
46. Andorra
47. San Marino
48. Hong Kong
49. Brunei
50. Israel
51. Barbados
52. Mexico
53. Bahamas
54. Uruguay
55. Vatican City
56. Ukraine
57. Peru
58. Saint Kitts and Nevis
59. Seychelles
60. St. Vincent and Grenadine
61. Costa Rica
62. Paraguay
63. Antigua and Barbuda
64. Trinidad and Tobago
65. Macao
66. Panama
67. Mauritius
68. Saint Lucia
69. Colombia
70. Grenada
71. Serbia
72. Solomon Islands
73. Georgia
74. Dominica
75. El Salvador
76. North Macedonia
77. Guatemala
78. Taiwan
79. Honduras
80. Montenegro
81. Samoa
82. Tuvalu
83. Tonga
84. Russian Federation
85. Kiribati
86. Turkey
87. Venezuela
88. Marshall Islands
89. Bosnia and Herzegovina
90. Moldova
91. Nicaragua
92. Albania
93. Palau
94. Micronesia
95. Qatar
96. Kuwait
97. South Africa
98. Ecuador
99. Timor-Leste
100. Saudi Arabia
101. Bahrain
102. Belize
103. Maldives
104. Jamaica
105. Oman
106. Fiji
107. Vanuatu
108. Thailand
109. Guyana
110. Kazakhstan
111. China
112. Belarus
113. Kosovo
114. Indonesia
115. Nauru
116. Suriname
117. Bolivia
118. Azerbaijan
119. Botswana
120. Papua New Guinea
121. Dominican Republic
122. Morocco
123. Armenia
124. Lesotho
125. Eswatini
126. Namibia
127. Malawi
128. Mongolia
129. Tunisia
130. Philippines
131. Kenya
132. Cuba
133. Uzbekistan
134. Kyrgyzstan
135. Tanzania
136. Zambia
137. Cape Verde
138. Ghana
139. Gambia
140. Uganda
141. Rwanda
142. India
143. Sao Tome and Principe
144. Tajikistan
145. Zimbabwe
146. Benin
147. Cambodia
148. Madagascar
149. Gabon
150. Vietnam
151. Algeria
152. Sierra Leone
153. Senegal
154. Burkina Faso
155. Togo
156. Mozambique
157. Equatorial Guinea
158. Egypt
159. Bhutan
160. Turkemenistan
161. Cote D’Ivoire
162. Mauritania
163. Niger
164. Jordan
165. Guinea
166. Angola
167. Comoros
168. Mali
169. Laos
170. Haiti
171. Djibouti
172. Guinea-Bissau
173. Chad
174. Central African Republic
175. Cameroon
176. Lebanon
177. Myanmar
178. Liberia
179. Sri Lanka
180. Burundi
181. Iran
182. Congo
183. Ethiopia
184. Nigeria
185. Democratic Republic of Congo
186. Nepal
187. South Sudan
188. Eritrea
189. Sudan
190. North Korea
191. Libya
192. Palestinian Territories
193. Bangladesh
194. Yemen
195. Pakistan
196. Somalia
197. Iraq
198. Afghanistan
199. Syria
Source: Arton Capital