UAE passport tops global travel‑freedom rankings, other nations move up

The United Arab Emirates' passport was declared the most powerful in the 2026 Arton Capital Passport Index, achieving a mobility score of 182 and allowing visa‑free or visa‑on‑arrival access to 138 + 44 = 182 destinations. In the parallel 2026 Henley Passport Index, the UAE rose three places to rank second worldwide with visa‑free or visa‑on‑arrival entry to 188 countries, sharing the position with Japan and South Korea while Singapore remains first with 192.

Malaysia’s passport placed seventh globally and second in Southeast Asia, granting visa‑free travel to 183 destinations and ranking ahead of the United States, Iceland and Hong Kong. Turkey’s passport fell to 48th with access to 112 destinations. Jamaica’s passport slipped to 59th, offering visa‑free entry to 84 locations. Romania achieved its best ever result, moving to 11th place with visa‑free access to 178 destinations, just behind the United States (10th). All rankings are based on the number of countries whose entry requirements are waived, on‑arrival, or covered by electronic authorisations.