UAE passport ranks 5th strongest globally in Henley index

The UAE’s passport is the world’s fifth strongest passport in 2026 in the latest Henley & Partners index, rising five positions over last year.

In this index, the UAE passport is stronger than New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Iceland, and the United States, among others.

In the fifth position, the UAE is placed along with Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia, giving access to visa-free and visa-on-arrival access to 184 countries to UAE passport holders. Singapore topped the list as its passport gives access to 192 countries, followed by Japan and South Korea, which were placed second, while Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden came third.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Top visa-free destinations for UAE passport holders:

• Austria

• Belgium

• UK

• Thailand

• Switzerland

• Singapore

• South Korea

• Spain

• Sweden

• Norway

• New Zealand

• Maldives

• Germany

Source: Henley & Partners

 The UAE stands out as the strongest performer on the Henley Passport Index over the past 20 years, adding 149 visa-free destinations since 2006 and climbing 57 places to fifth on the rankings with access to 184 destinations visa-free, driven by sustained diplomatic engagement and visa liberalisation.

UAE passport holders require a visa for 42 destinations.

UAE passport journey

Year                Ranking

2016                    38

2017                    38

2018                    21

2019                    15

2020                    18

2021                    16

2022                    15

2023                    15

2024                    11

2025                    10

2026                    5

Source: Henley & Partners

“What we are seeing is a fundamental shift in how globally mobile individuals think about access and security,” said Dr Juerg Steffen, CEO at Henley & Partners.

“In an era of geopolitical uncertainty and increasingly fragmented travel regimes, residence and citizenship planning has evolved into an essential strategy for building resilience, optionality, and mobility certainty across multiple jurisdictions,” added Steffen.

“Passport power ultimately reflects political stability, diplomatic credibility, and the ability to shape international rules,” said Misha Glenny, Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.

“As transatlantic relations strain and domestic politics grow more volatile, the erosion of mobility rights for countries like the US and UK is less a technical anomaly than a signal of deeper geopolitical recalibration,” said Glenny.

Prof. Peter J. Spiro, professor at Temple University Law School, said Americans are continuing their scramble for alternative residence and citizenship amid ongoing political turbulence, with interest now at an all-time high.

“What was once seen as an extreme contingency has become a mainstream form of risk management — a durable Plan B that offers security, mobility, and peace of mind in an increasingly unpredictable world,” added Spiro.