Henley & Partners released their Visa Restrictions Index for 2016 and the list hasn’t really changed much from last year with Kuwait still trailing behind UAE as the second best Arab passport with visa free access to 82 countries. Here are some highlights:
1 – Germany (177)
6 – Canada (172)
38 – United Arab Emirates (122)
57 – Kuwait (82)
60 – Qatar (79)
65 – Bahrain (73)
67 – Oman (71)
69 – Saudi Arabia (69)
85 – India (52)
88 – Egypt (49)
90 – Jordan (47)
96 – Lebanon (39)
104 – Afghanistan (25)
So glad I have the Canadian passport and not the Lebanese one! If you want to see how powerful your passport is, check out the full list [Here]
via Exotic Kuwait
32 replies on “How powerful is your passport? (2016)”
Never really appreciated my Canadian passport until I got here and saw the effort it took for other people to travel. I always took it for granted that I could hop on a plane and be somewhere without going through the whole visa process. Now, I thank God all the time I don’t have to go through that.
UAE passports can visit all EU schengen states visa free…….
Oh well we’re reopening Kuwait Towers this Saturday :/
A matter of time and Kuwait will have the same privilege.
Considering what it currently happening in Europe, that is highly unlikely.
Kuwait has been eyeing the Schengen for a while. Money talks, it is a matter of time really.
+1 This is certainly true. Highly unlikely.
Kuwait waiver already approved by EU congress, Few things left by Kuwait side.
Not really, the talks started 3-4 years ago.
As unlikely as the UK allowing for online visas 🙂
The EU congress did approve The Shengen Visa Waiver for Kuwaiti passports, but they require a biometric (electronic) passport,
See that little logo on the bottom of the German and Canadian passports? That’s the “Biometric” sign, meaning the passport has a computer chip containing your vital data such as retina scan, DNA…etc. The UAE passport has it hence the Schengen exemption. Kuwait, lagging as usual, will have it in the new passport which will start rolling out next month. We should get the same exemption once the new passport is fully implemented which would put us in a tie with the UAE maybe next year.
On a side note, did you know Kuwaiti passport holders don’t need a visa to travel to South Korea?
Thats not exactly accurate. I have the Canadian passport with the chip and it doesn’t contain my retina scan or DNA. I know that because I only submitted my photo when applying for the new passport. The chip just contains the information thats already in the passport.
+1 No one in the world has a DNA database except for criminals.
Hmmm. Then the passport is not biometric and the logo is not reflective of its content. “Bio” means biological data such as fingerprints and retina scan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometric_passport
Well like I said I have a biometric passport and it does not contain my DNA, finger print or retina scan.
Just to clarify. The “biometric” logo means “biometric-ready” or certified. It doesn’t necessarily mean it actually has biodata, but it could, should it become necessary.
ok then that explains it. also facial recognition is included so maybe my passport photo is used for that.
I don’t understand how Afghanistan was 25 last year?
I have the Lebanese passport. I feel like throwing up.
I hope this clears it up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometric_passport
Oops. Saw it was already posted. My apologies.
Good, so with Hungarian passport we are in the first 10. 🙂
If Donald Trump is elected President this list could change drastically. Or maybe he will be too busy building a wall to keep out everyone!
Trump will have nothing to say regarding European visas.
Anyone know the list of free access countries for the Kuwaiti passport?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Kuwaiti_citizens
Thanks!
If they enforce the visa free deal after the electronic passport
Kuwait (82)+26 schengen+4 uk = 112 countries visa free.
other countries are on the way so it’s safe to say that we’ll have 112+ visa free countries
Ghana have only 63 visa free countries.
Us Syrians are taking the biggest hit. let me give a quick description of our situation. Visa refusals in EU, Canada, USA, China, Russia and the rest of the world. Even Lebanon and Turkey which were visa free are now requiring Syrians to obtain a visa, Lol. With the Syrian war going on, We are being banned from traveling to most of the world in the fear of bringing terrorism with us and somehow causing chaos and instability in their countries. It is such a shame when even our fellow GCC neighbours don’t take the poor refugees in and take a corrective action and leave them in the hopes of fleeing to EU countries. Syrians with valid residencies are being stopped at the airport for *carrying fake passports* and being deported. Messed up world we live in.
Poor Syrians, soon we will be left without an Identity.
I got a little misty-eyed while reading that. My heart goes out to you, Bader.
Just remember one thing: NOBODY can ever take your identity away from you. No one. Only you can define yourself.
Much love.
I hold the 2nd worst passport in the world: Pakistan. Interesting that the top 4 are all war torn countries, but the Pakistani one is just because of our own faults and deeds in the international stage.