The Emirati passport enhances its position globally and ranks second in the 2026 rankings

The UAE maintained its second place globally in the Henley & Partners Passport Index 2026, after the UAE passport allowed its holder to enter 188 destinations around the world without the need for a prior visa or obtaining a visa upon arrival, in an achievement that reflects the continued strength of the country’s diplomatic relations and the expansion of its network of international agreements.

According to the classification, Singapore came in first place with access to 192 destinations, while the UAE shared second place with Japan and South Korea with 188 destinations, and Sweden came in third place with 187 destinations, while Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain came in fourth place with access to 186 destinations. While Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Switzerland ranked fifth with 185 destinations.

The report indicated that the UAE was the largest country to rise since January 2026, after advancing three places to reach second place in the world, stressing that it also achieved the largest improvement in the history of the index over the past two decades.

The report explained that the UAE passport added 153 new destinations that can be entered without a visa during the past twenty years, moving it from an average rank when the index was launched in 2006 to the ranks of the most powerful passports in the world, which it described as a prominent example of the impact of sustainable diplomatic engagement and international cooperation in enhancing global freedom of movement.

Dr. Christian Kaelin, President of Henley & Partners and creator of the index, said that the strength of the passport has become one of the most prominent indicators of the geopolitical status of countries, noting that the strongest passports belong to countries with which other countries seek to build partnerships in the fields of trade, investment, security and international cooperation.
The report pointed out that the exceptional performance of the UAE passport reflects the country’s success in expanding its international partnerships and enhancing its diplomatic and economic presence, which contributed to consolidating its position among the most powerful passports in the world.

The report added that the average number of destinations that passport holders around the world can enter without a visa rose to 108 destinations in 2026, compared to only 58 destinations when the index was launched in 2006, despite the decline in global peace levels and the rise in the number of international conflicts during the same period.