UAE Has The World’s Most Powerful Passport, Zimbabwe Ranked At 70
The United Arab Emirates passport has been ranked as the most powerful passport in the world in 2026, allowing its holders to enter 182 countries without needing a traditional embassy visa. Zimbabwe is ranked at number 70 out of 147 passports assessed.
According to the 2026 Atlys Global Passport Ranking released in November, UAE citizens can travel visa-free to 137 countries, with another 45 countries offering visa on arrival or eVisa.
Zimbabwean passport holders can access only 69 destinations without prior visa arrangements, with 40 countries visa-free and 29 offering visa on arrival. For 129 other countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and most of Europe, Zimbabweans must still apply for a visa in advance.
The Atlys ranking measures travel freedom by counting how many countries a passport can enter without a prior visa. A higher score means easier travel for tourism, business and study, reflecting strong diplomatic relations. Zimbabwe’s position at 70 places it behind regional neighbours South Africa at 43, Botswana at 59 and Namibia at 62, with most of its visa-free access limited to Africa, the Caribbean and parts of Asia.
The top 20 most powerful passports in 2026 are UAE, Singapore, Spain, Malaysia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Greece, Norway, Ireland, and Japan, United Kingdom and South Korea tied at number 20.