The Passport Influencer ranking has determined the world's strongest passport. Here we find out how affordable it is to travel and migrate if you are a citizen of Germany, the Arab Emirates, and many other countries.

Passport Index is the original interactive ranking tool for passports around the world. It is the only real-time global ranking of the world's passports, updated as often as new visas and changes are introduced.

The world's most influential passport 

The United Arab Emirates passport is now the most powerful passport in the world, with visa-free or visa-free access upon arrival at 174 destinations. This makes it the strongest in the world, according to the world passport ranking in order of the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa prior to arrival.

Unlike the Henley Passport Index, which ranked Japan first in 2022, the Index Passport Power Rank updates its rankings in real-time as new visa regulations and changes are implemented, showing current impacts, such as COVID-19 travel bans. 

After dropping the rankings in recent years, the UAE has made an impressive comeback in 2022. The repeal of COVID-19 border closures is one reason, but the UAE also got a boost from subsidizing country pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai for low-income countries in exchange for visa-free agreements.

Eleven countries are behind the UAE in joint second place with visa-free access to 170 destinations now: Germany, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and South Korea. Third place is a nine-way tie between Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Japan, Ireland, the United States, and New Zealand with access to 173 destinations each.

Last place in the rankings

Afghanistan currently sits at the bottom of the rankings at 88th place with access to only 36 destinations. Syria and Iraq ranked only slightly higher with access to 38 and 39 destinations, respectively.

List of influential passports according to the 2022 ranking

1. the United Arab Emirates (181 destinations)

2. Germany, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, South Korea (174 destinations)

3. Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Japan, Ireland, United States of America, New Zealand (173 destinations)

4. Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Great Britain, Australia (172 destinations)

5. Malta, Singapore, Lithuania, Slovakia, Canada (171 destinations)

6. Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia (170 directions)

7. Iceland, Liechtenstein (169 destinations)

8. Cyprus, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria (168 directions)

9. Malaysia (166 destinations)

10. Monaco (164 destinations)

These rankings already show a significant rebound in mobility around the world. During 2020, the world's most powerful passports allowed visa-free entry to just 112 destinations.

Read more about the passports of the countries that were recognised as the best in 2023 here.

The influence of the German passport on travel and migration 

National passports are ranked according to how many countries the holder can gain visa-free access. Thus, Germany's passport ranking reflects the number of visa-free countries available to German passport holders. Visa-free countries include countries where entry is possible without a visa and with visa on arrival/electronic travel authorization (eTA).

Henley's 2022 Passport Index results released good news for German passport holders. The German passport is the second strongest in the world, and its holders can visit 174 countries without having to apply for a visa in advance.

The ranking system awards the passport one point for each country it allows travel to without the need for an advance visa. Passports are also awarded a point if the bearer can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor's permit, or an electronic travel authority. Points are not awarded for destinations for which the traveler must obtain a visa or government approval before arrival.