UAE passport holders can visit 182 destinations with visa-free or eased entry requirements.
The UAE has maintained its position as the world’s strongest passport in Arton Capital’s 2026 Passport Index, securing the top global ranking for travel freedom and surpassing many passports from major economies.
The Emirati passport recorded a mobility score of 182, allowing holders visa-free access to 138 countries, visa-on-arrival facilities in 44 destinations, and requiring advance visas for only 16 countries.
France and Spain jointly secured the second position in the annual index, while Singapore, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Malaysia, Norway and Ireland shared third place.
Malta, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, South Korea and Japan followed in fourth position, completing the list of the world’s top-ranked passports.
The Passport Index ranks countries based on their Global Mobility Score, which evaluates the number of destinations accessible to passport holders through visa-free entry, visas on arrival, and electronic travel authorisations or e-visas processed within three working days.
The index assesses 199 travel destinations, comprising 193 United Nations member states and six additional territories.
Arton Capital said the index is independently compiled using data gathered directly from official government sources and updated continuously in real time.
In cases where countries have the same mobility score and identical visa-access rankings, the final position is determined using the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index. This ensures each passport receives a distinct global ranking based on both travel freedom and national development factors.
