World’s most powerful passports announced; Uzbekistan’s passport ranked 80th

Uzbekistan has dropped by two lines (from 78th to 80th) in the world passport ranking, announced by Henley & Partners.

According to the company, citizens of Uzbekistan can visit 62 countries without a visa, or receive one upon arrival. Compared to the third quarter, the republic dropped by two lines in the ranking.

However, this happened due to changes in the positions of other countries. Over the past six months, Uzbekistan concluded agreements on a visa-free regime with Iran and Qatar, and Saudi Arabia introduced electronic visas.

The Uzbek passport is less powerful compared to almost all post-Soviet countries. Belarus ranks 64th (78 states visa-free), Kazakhstan - 66th (78), Azerbaijan - 70th (72), and Armenia - 74th (68). Russia is in 51st place (119 countries), but the closure of air traffic with the EU and the USA complicates tourism.

Over the past 14 years, the number of visa-free destinations for Uzbek citizens has increased by almost a third – from 47 in 2010 to 62 countries in 2024.

Six countries led the ranking: Germany, Spain, Italy, Singapore, France and Japan. Citizens of these countries can enter 194 countries and territories without prior notification from local authorities. They either do not require a visa at all or can obtain one upon arrival.

The second place was shared by Finland, Sweden and South Korea (193 states). The top five also included 12 European states, whose citizens can travel without a visa to more than 190 countries around the world.

Afghanistan has again become an “outsider” in the ranking – with its passport, one can travel without a visa to 28 countries. Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia also found themselves at the bottom of the ranking (36 countries).