Passport Reports says the UAE passport ranks first globally in 2026, recording a Mobility Score of 182 and worldwide access of 91.9 percent. Holders can reach that many destinations through visa-free entry, visa on arrival, other simplified entry arrangements, or an eTA. This particular measure places the document among those commonly called the world’s most powerful passport. That UAE passport ranking 2026 update also breaks down access by region, tier, and reciprocity, across all 199 tracked destinations.
UAE passport mobility score breaks into three tiers. Visa-free access covers 128 destinations. UAE passport visa-on-arrival access applies to 44 more. An eTA opens the remaining 10.
Sixteen destinations still require a visa arranged in advance. Those include Afghanistan, the United States, Australia, Belize, Bhutan, Algeria, Eritrea, Cameroon, North Korea, Lesotho, Libya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Somalia, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Several of them still offer an electronic-visa option. Australia provides a fast-track eVisa. Bhutan, Cameroon, Libya, Nicaragua, Somalia and Venezuela also list eVisa access, though each stays classified as visa-required.
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UAE passport ranks first globally across Europe, Gulf and Middle East
UAE passport ranks first globally in Europe, where access reaches 100 percent overall. Visa-free entry accounts for 97.9 percent of the region, spanning 46 destinations, with the remainder reached through the eTA category.
Gulf access also reaches 100 percent. UAE passport holders travel visa-free to Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman, the five other GCC states.
Middle East access also reaches 100 percent overall. Visa-free entry makes up 75 percent of that region. Visa on arrival or simplified entry adds 18.8 percent, and an eTA covers the final 6.3 percent. No Middle Eastern destination sits in the visa-required column.
Access outside these three regions varies by geography. Caribbean access stands at 93.8 percent. Oceania reaches 92.9 percent, South America 91.7 percent, Asia 89.8 percent, Africa 88.9 percent, North America 87 percent, and Central Asia 80 percent.
UAE passport visa-free countries and wider rankings
Per Passport Reports, the UAE passport ranks first globally among 50 Asian countries, 17 Middle Eastern countries, and six Gulf countries. It also leads among 24 Arabic-official-language countries, 159 World Trade Organization members, 57 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries, 22 Arab League countries, 11 BRICS countries and 132 G77 countries.
Per the same report, UAE passport visa-free countries do not all share the same entry process. Dominica, El Salvador and Armenia allow visa-free stays of up to 180 days. United Kingdom and Canada eTA entries carry the same allowance. Additional steps apply elsewhere. Dominican Republic entry calls for an e-ticket ahead of a 30-day stay. Malaysia requires an arrival card for 90 days. Suriname uses a tourist card, also for 90 days. Seychelles calls for tourist registration, and Côte d’Ivoire for pre-registration, both covering 90-day stays.
UAE ranks 91st for inbound travel
UAE passport ranks first globally for outbound travel, but inbound access works differently. Passport Reports also measures how easily foreign nationals can enter the UAE, a separate welcoming-country ranking. On that scale, the UAE places 91st out of 199, a figure distinct from its own passport’s Mobility Score and not to be confused with it.
Two reciprocity gaps stand out in the data. United States and Australian passport holders can enter the UAE visa-free, electronically, or on arrival, while UAE passport holders need a visa to enter either country. A longer list runs the other way. India, Pakistan, Kenya, Thailand, Türkiye, and South Africa all require their own citizens to secure a visa for the UAE, even as UAE passport holders receive visa-free, electronic, on-arrival, or otherwise simplified entry to each of those destinations.
