Passport Index Ranking of Arab Countries
By: Mariam Alyakoob / Arab America Contributing Writer
A passport index, created by Henley & Partners, is defined as an “authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa”. This means that depending on the passport you have, you may be able to travel more freely across different countries than someone who may be from a country with a low passport index ranking, and vice versa. Within the Arab World, some countries hold some of the lowest ranked passports while others hold some of the highest ranked passports. Let’s explore.
In this article we will be exploring the passport index ranking in alphabetical order of the member states of the Arab League which include: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordon, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Before we start let’s define some terms:
- Visa Free: A trip to any country that does not require you to obtain a visa with your passport
- Visa on arrival: Travelers must obtain a visa in order to enter the destination country, but it can be obtained upon arrival so they do not have to apply beforehand.
- ETA: A digital visa that is stored in a database rather than stamped or glued into the bearer’s passport.
Algeria
# Countries allow Visa Free: 18
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival: 43
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 135
Overall passport power rank: 78
Bahrain
# Countries allow Visa Free: 44
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:46
# of countries that require ETA: 6
# Countries that require Visa: 102
Overall passport power rank: 51
Comoros
# Countries allow Visa Free: 17
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:43
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 136
Overall passport power rank: 79
Djibouti
# Countries allow Visa Free: 13
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:43
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 140
Overall passport power rank: 83
Egypt
# Countries allow Visa Free: 17
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:45
# of countries that require ETA: 1
# Countries that require Visa: 135
Overall passport power rank: 78
Iraq
# Countries allow Visa Free: 5
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:32
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 159
Overall passport power rank: 95
Jordan
# Countries allow Visa Free: 18
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:43
# of countries that require ETA: 3
# Countries that require Visa: 134
Overall passport power rank: 77
Kuwait
# Countries allow Visa Free: 52
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:46
# of countries that require ETA: 6
# Countries that require Visa: 94
Overall passport power rank: 47
Lebanon
# Countries allow Visa Free: 13
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:40
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 143
Overall passport power rank: 85
Libya
# Countries allow Visa Free: 11
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:36
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 149
Overall passport power rank: 91
Mauritania
# Countries allow Visa Free: 24
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:38
# of countries that require ETA: 1
# Countries that require Visa: 135
Overall passport power rank: 78
Morocco
# Countries allow Visa Free: 30
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:44
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 122
Overall passport power rank: 66
Oman
# Countries allow Visa Free: 38
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:48
# of countries that require ETA: 6
# Countries that require Visa: 106
Overall passport power rank: 54
Palestinian Territories
# Countries allow Visa Free: 9
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:37
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 150
Overall passport power rank: 92
Qatar
# Countries allow Visa Free: 58
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:44
# of countries that require ETA: 6
# Countries that require Visa: 90
Overall passport power rank: 45
Saudi Arabia
# Countries allow Visa Free: 41
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:45
# of countries that require ETA: 6
# Countries that require Visa: 106
Overall passport power rank: 54
Somalia
# Countries allow Visa Free: 8
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:33
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 155
Overall passport power rank: 94
Sudan
# Countries allow Visa Free: 11
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:40
# of countries that require ETA: 1
# Countries that require Visa: 146
Overall passport power rank: 88
Syria
# Countries allow Visa Free: 6
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:31
# of countries that require ETA: 1
# Countries that require Visa: 160
Overall passport power rank: 96
Tunisia
# Countries allow Visa Free: 35
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:44
# of countries that require ETA: 3
# Countries that require Visa: 116
Overall passport power rank: 61
UAE
# Countries allow Visa Free: 112
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:57
# of countries that require ETA: 7
# Countries that require Visa: 22
Overall passport power rank: 1
Yemen
# Countries allow Visa Free: 8
# Countries allow Visa on Arrival:34
# of countries that require ETA: 2
# Countries that require Visa: 154
Overall passport power rank: 93
Conclusion
The Arab Country with the lowest ranking and least mobility is Syria with only 6 countries that allow a visa free entrance for Syrian passport holders and 31 countries that allow a visa on arrival. Its overall passport ranking is 96 out of 199 countries and is the second to lowest in the world after Afghanistan.
The Arab Country with the highest ranking and most mobility is the United Arab Emirates with a passport power rank of 1 out of 199 countries. UAE passport holders are able to enter 112 countries without a visa. They are also allowed to get a visa on arrival from 57 other countries.
If you would like to explore on your own, check out passportindex.org
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