UAE passport ranks first globally with 182 destinations in facilitated-access categories

The current September report places the UAE passport ranking at No. 1 globally in 2026, with a Mobility Score of 182 and worldwide access of 91.9%.

The score means UAE passport holders can reach 182 destinations within the report’s facilitated-access categories, combining visa-free entry, visa on arrival or other simplified entry arrangements, and electronic travel authorisation.

The Mobility Score of 182 is made up of 128 visa-free destinations, 44 destinations available through visa on arrival or simplified entry arrangements classified in the same access category, and 10 destinations accessible with an electronic travel authorisation (eTA).

A further 16 destinations are classified as visa required, leaving the three facilitated categories to total the published Mobility Score of 182.

The 16 visa-required destinations listed in the report are Afghanistan, the United States, Australia, Belize, Bhutan, Algeria, Eritrea, Cameroon, North Korea, Lesotho, Libya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Somalia, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Several of these entries also carry an electronic-visa note, including Australia with a fast-track eVisa and Bhutan, Cameroon, Libya, Nicaragua, Somalia and Venezuela with eVisa availability, while remaining in the report’s visa-required category.

Full access across Europe, the Gulf and the Middle East

Regional data show 100% overall access across Europe. Visa-free access accounts for 97.9% of the region, covering 46 destinations, with the remaining coverage completed through the electronic travel authorisation category.

Across the Gulf countries, overall access is 100% and visa-free access is also 100% to the five other states in the group: Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

The Middle East also records 100% overall access, divided into 75.0% visa-free, 18.8% visa on arrival or simplified entry, and 6.3% electronic travel authorisation, with no destination in that regional group classified as visa required. Overall access stands at 93.8% in the Caribbean, 92.9% in Oceania, 91.7% in South America, 89.8% in Asia, 88.9% in Africa, 87.0% in North America and 80.0% in Central Asia.

First-place positions in regional and international comparisons

Beyond the global No. 1 position, the UAE passport ranks first among 50 Asian countries, first among 17 Middle Eastern countries and first among six Gulf countries. The report also places it first 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.

Long stays and destination-specific entry procedures

The destination-level data show that facilitated access does not always mean the same entry process. Visa-free stays of up to 180 days are recorded for destinations including Dominica, El Salvador and Armenia, while the United Kingdom and Canada are shown with 180-day stays in the eTA category. The report also records additional procedures in some destinations, including an e-ticket for the Dominican Republic for a 30-day stay, an arrival card for Malaysia for 90 days, a tourist card for Suriname for 90 days, tourist registration for Seychelles for 90 days, and pre-registration for Côte d’Ivoire for 90 days.

Welcoming ranking and the inward direction of entry rules

In the opposite direction, measuring how easily foreign passport holders can enter the country, the report places the UAE 91st out of 199 in the welcoming-country ranking. The separate visa requirements for entering the United Arab Emirates relate to this inward direction and should not be confused with the UAE passport ranking, which measures access available to UAE passport holders travelling abroad.

The reciprocity signals identify two specific cases where passport holders from a country can enter the UAE visa-free, with electronic permission or on arrival while UAE passport holders are required to obtain a visa for that destination: the United States and Australia. In the reverse category, the report lists countries whose passport holders require a visa for the UAE while UAE passport holders receive visa-free, electronic-authorisation, on-arrival or other simplified access there; examples include India, Pakistan, Kenya, Thailand, Türkiye and South Africa.

Passport Reports ranks passports first by Mobility Score, defined as the total number of destinations accessible visa-free, through visa on arrival or related simplified entry arrangements in the same category, and through electronic travel authorisation. When passports have the same Mobility Score, ties are broken in sequence by the number of visa-free destinations, then the number of eTA destinations, and then the number of visa-on-arrival or related simplified-entry destinations; if all four values are identical, the passports share the same rank.