The Henley Passport Index revealed the world's most powerful passports of 2023 and is based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The ranking is according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa out of 227 destinations around the world.

Qatar currently ranks 55th on the list with a visa-free score of 100. Qatar has jumped 2 spots higher compared to the 2022 ranking of 57th, with a visa-free score of 99. Qatar's best score was in 2020, with a ranking of 54th.

For the fifth year in a row, Japan tops the list with a visa-free score of 193 visa-free destinations. South Korea and Singapore are tied for the second spot at 192 visa-free destinations.

Senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, Dr. Robert Mogielnicki:

"Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup provided an unparalleled opportunity to market the small Gulf country to a global audience and the World Bank anticipates Kuwait’s growth to accelerate to 8.5% alongside a strong performance in the non-oil sectors.”

Analysts anticipate that Kuwait and Qatar will sign a visa-free deal with the EU in 2023, a move that will dramatically enhance both countries’ Henley Passport Index scores, as their passport holders will be granted visa-free access to all 27 EU member states. While Asian countries still dominate the very top of the index, the growing passport strength of Gulf countries has been identified as a key trend in the coming year.

Here are the World's top 55 most powerful passports and their visa-free country score:

1. Japan (193)
2. South Korea, Singapore (192)
3. Germany, Spain (190)
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189)
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, and Sweden (188)
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187)
7. Belgium, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States (186)
8. Australia, Canada, Greece, and Malta (185)
9. Poland, Hungary (184)
10. Lithuania, Slovakia (183)
11. Latvia, Slovenia (182)
12. Estonia (181)
13. Iceland (180)
14. Malaysia (179)
15. Liechtenstein, United Arab Emirates (178)
16. Cyprus (177)
17. Romania (175)
18. Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Monaco (174)
19. Hong Kong (171)
20. Argentina, Brazil (170)
21. San Marino (169)
22. Andorra (168)
23. Brunei (166)
24. Barbados (163)
25. Israel, Mexico (159)
26. St. Kitts and Nevis (157)
27. Bahamas (155)
28. Vatican City (154)
29. Seychelles, Uruguay (153)
30. St. Vincent and the Grenadines (152)
31. Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago (151)
32. Costa Rica (150)
33. St. Lucia (147)
34. Grenada, Mauritius (146)
35. Dominica, Taiwan (145)
36. Macao, Panama, Ukraine (144)
37. Paraguay (142)
38. Peru, Serbia (136)
39. Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras (133)
40. El Salvador, Samoa, Solomon Islands (132)
41. Tonga (130)
42. Venezuela (129)
43. Nicaragua, Tuvalu (128)
44. North Macedonia (125)
45. Kiribati, Montenegro (124)
46. Marshall Islands (123)
47. Moldova (121)
48. Palau Islands (120)
49. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Micronesia, Russian Federation (118)
50. Georgia (116)
51. Albania (115)
52. Türkiye (110)
53. South Africa (106)
54. Belize (103)
55. Qatar (100)

Source: Henley & Partners
Cover image credit: Shutterstock

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Cassandra Pallagud

Content Writer

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