UAE citizens now enjoy the free visa access in 183 countries

• UAE passport secures 11th position in the 2024 Passport Index with visa-free access.
• UAE has increased its visa-free score by 106 destinations since 2014.
• Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia maintain leading positions in the region.

In the 2024 Passport Index released on Wednesday by Henley & Partner, the UAE passport has strengthened, securing the 11th position with visa-free access to 183 countries.

Over the past decade, the UAE has been the most significant climber on the Index, increasing its visa-free score by 106 destinations since 2014.

This remarkable progress propelled the UAE from the 55th to the 11th position, marking a leap of 44 places in the ranking. Additionally, the UAE passport maintained its leading position in the region, with Qatar (53), Kuwait (55), Bahrain (59), Oman (60), and Saudi Arabia (61) following suit.

Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia grant visa-free access to 108, 102, 91, 90, and 89 countries, respectively.

Henley & Partner’s 2024 Passport Index ranks Afghanistan (104), Syria (103), Iraq (102), Pakistan (101), and Yemen (100) at the bottom.

Bangladesh rises one position to 97th, while India’s passport climbs three positions to 80^. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) provides exclusive and official data for the index.

Globally, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, along with Japan and Singapore, possess the most powerful passports, allowing citizens to visit 194 destinations out of 227 visa-free.

Japan and Singapore have held the top position on the index for the past five years.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, notes that the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is wider than ever.

“The average number of destinations travelers can access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, as we enter the New Year, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa,” said Kaelin.

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