Sara-Jayne Makwala King19 December 2024 | 11:24

Travel without borders: These are the most powerful passports in the world

The UAE has visa-free access to 90% of the countries in the world, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index.

Travel without borders: These are the most powerful passports in the world

Passport

When it comes to passport power, the Henley Passport Index is what you might call the ultimate scorecard.

This year's rankings have been released and, for the fourth consecutive year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has come out on top.

Holders of the world's most powerful passport can travel to 133 countries worldwide, without needing a visa.

A further 47 nations offer UAE citizens the option of obtaining a visa on arrival.

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Spain has the second-most powerful passport. Its citizens can enter 134 countries without a visa and obtain visas on arrival in 45 countries.

European countries including Finland, Belgium and Italy dominate the remainder of the top 20.

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Both the United States and the United Kingdom experienced a decline in their respective rankings. The United Kingdom, slightly ahead of Canada at number 32, lost 10 places since 2023.

Similarly, the US passport lost considerable power, falling from 27th place in the previous year to 38th in 2024.

The drop makes it the least powerful passport among the G7 countries.

'Unsurprisingly, European passports are overwhelmingly the best ranked, ahead of larger economies like the United States and China. Nearly all countries in the Balkans experienced growth in their mobility this year; a positive trend in the region we hope will continue."
- Hrant Boghossian, Co-founder, Henley Passport Index
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And South Africa?

Well, it's not the highest-ranked country in Africa; that honour goes to Mauritius at number 67.

Mzansi comes in halfway down the list at 97, before Ecuador and after Kuwait.

Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia and Malawi occupy positions 124 to 127, while Zimbabwe, Uganda and Zambia are listed in the bottom 40 positions.

Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria hold the least-powerful passports.

"Geopolitical factors including elections and conflicts continue to influence global mobility. Despite this, we are still seeing countries collaborate and governments recognise the opportunities that visa-free agreements represent."
- Hrant Boghossian, Co-founder, Henley Passport Index