Bahrain climbs to 61st position on 2023 passport index ranking

The Henley Passport Index is the original and most authoritative passport index, with historical data spanning 18 years.

The index and its contests are based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), supplemented, enhanced, and updated using extensive in-house research and open-source online data.

It ranks the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

The index consists of 199 different passports, as well as 227 different travel destinations. Saudi Arabia shares the 63rd rank on the index with Oman and Papua New Guinea.

Saudi, Oman, and Papua New Guinea passport holders have visa-free access to 82 destinations around the world.

According to the Henley Passport Index rating, the UAE fell one spot in the rankings after holding the 15th position last year.

It currently holds the 16th position, having visa-free access to 178 destinations globally.

As reported previously by The Daily Tribune, the 15th position held previously by the UAE was the highest position yet achieved for the Arab nation throughout the index’s history.

Who ranks at the top? Japan and Singapore remarkably topped the index, allowing both Japanese and Singaporeans to visit 193 destinations out of 227 around the world without a prior visa.

This allows them to access 85 percent of the world without a prior visa, according to data from the International Air Transport Association and Henley & Partners.

Best passports What are the best passports to hold in 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index?

According to the Henley & Partners, Global Ranking Index, Japan and Singapore tie for first place (193 destinations), South Korea is second (192 destinations), and Germany and Spain are third (191 destinations).

Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg place 4th (190 destinations), Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands place 5th (189 destinations), and France, Ireland, Portugal, and the UK place 6th (188 destinations).

Belgium, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the US place 7th (187 destinations); Australia, Canada, Greece, and Malta place 8th (186 destinations), Hungary and Poland place 9th (185 destinations), and Lithuania and Slovakia place 10th (184 destinations).

Analysts anticipate that Kuwait and Qatar will sign a visa-free deal with the EU this year, a move that could dramatically enhance both countries’ Henley Passport Index scores, as Kuwait scores 57 (97 destinations) and Qatar scores 56 (100 destinations).

Henley & Partners also reported that whilst Asian countries continue to dominate the very top of the index, the growing strength of Gulf countries' passports has been identified as a key trend in the coming year.