Each year, various ranking agencies release lists of the world’s most powerful passports, assessing the number of countries they grant visa-free access to.
Rankings differ based on criteria, with some considering only UN-recognized nations, while others, like the Henley Passport Index, include additional “travel destinations” such as Aruba.
The recent ranking by Arton Capital crowned the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 180 out of 198 countries.
Notably, this ranking considers real-time access updates, accounting for changes in visa rules or sanctions.
The UAE has consistently held this position and is followed by EU members sharing second place, including Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.
The USA, now in sixth place, faces challenges due to evolving diplomatic relations and changes in entry requirements by some nations.
Brazil is also set to introduce a new visa requirement for U.S. visitors in April 2024 as part of its efforts to digitize international arrival screenings.
