The United Arab Emirates has strengthened its position as one of the world's most travel-friendly nations, with its passport climbing to joint second place in the latest Henley Passport Index, giving Emirati citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 188 destinations worldwide.
The July 2026 edition of the Henley Passport Index, released by Henley & Partners, ranks the UAE alongside Japan and South Korea, behind only Singapore, whose passport offers access to 192 destinations. The UAE climbed three places from the January edition, making it the biggest mover in the latest rankings.
The achievement reinforces the UAE's status as the strongest passport in the Arab world and highlights the country's sustained diplomatic efforts to expand global mobility for its citizens through reciprocal visa-waiver agreements.
Sweden ranked third with access to 187 destinations, while Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain shared fourth place with visa-free access to 186 destinations. Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Switzerland rounded out the top five with access to 185 destinations. The United Kingdom ranked sixth with 184 destinations, while the United States was tenth with access to 180 destinations.
Henley & Partners said the latest rankings, based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), show that international mobility continues to expand despite growing geopolitical tensions. The average passport now provides visa-free access to 108 destinations, almost double the 58 destinations recorded when the index was launched in 2006.
According to the firm, no country has transformed its passport more dramatically than the UAE over the past two decades. Since 2006, the Emirates has added 153 visa-free destinations, rising from 62nd place to joint second globally through sustained diplomatic engagement and an ambitious programme of reciprocal visa-waiver agreements.
Dr Christian H Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the index, said two decades of data demonstrate that passport strength has become "one of the clearest expressions of a country's geopolitical capital," reflecting the growing importance of diplomacy and international partnerships in enhancing global mobility. - TradeArabia News Service
