The United Arab Emirates (UAE) passport has been declared the most powerful in the world.
According to the Annual list compiled by an offshore consulting firm (Nomad Capitalist), UAE has entered the top ten for the first time this year, jumping straight to number one from 35th last year.
Also Read: Pakistani Passport declared as 4th lowest while UAE Passport ranked most powerful in the world
The report released by index said, “This is largely due to recent changes allowing foreigners to apply for dual citizenship, which, combined with the travel freedoms afforded by a UAE passport, plus the country’s business-friendly environment and enviable tax system, puts the UAE top of our list for 2023”.
The list Top ten countries in the Most Power Passport Index include UAE, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Finland.
After UAE’s 2nd Most Powerful Passport is Luxembourg, which was at the top of the list for the past two years.
“This tiny but prosperous European Union (EU) member state offers its citizens high levels of freedom,” says Nomad. “It also boasts excellent passport perception. And fortunately for the ex-pats living there, it recently became easier to naturalize as a citizen.”
The Third Powerful Passport is Switzerland, which is one of the only three non-EU countries to make the top ten. Nomad stated: “Swiss citizens enjoy high levels of liberty and privacy. The country has risen from fifth to third position this year.
“Moreover, the country’s famous neutrality ensures that Swiss nationals remain some of the most respected travelers around the world.”
The fourth passport on the list is that of Ireland. The country offers one of Europe’s lowest corporate tax rates, while its passport’s visa scores are among the highest.
Ireland’s “excellent reputation” makes traveling as an Irish citizen generally hassle-free, the Nomad said, adding that “while Ireland is not part of the European Schengen Area, it is a member of the Common Travel Area (CTA), which means free travel to, and the right to work in, the UK.”
Portugal has the fifth most powerful passport in the world since the country is open and friendly. “Portuguese citizens,” the Nomad said, “are also highly welcome around the world, enjoying visa-free travel to countries like South Africa that other European Union citizens don’t. Portugal also provides a warm welcome to ex-pats, with high levels of English fluency plus a favorable tax exemption program.”
Number six on the list is the passport of Germany, which is a high-tech and heavily industrialized economy with a strong work ethic.
Germany is the largest economy in the EU and the world’s fourth-largest economy overall, the consulting firm said.
“It’s also Europe’s most populous country. As a result, German passports bestow a high degree of travel freedom, though the tradeoff comes in the form of higher taxes than many of its European neighbors, though thankfully leaving the German tax system is relatively straightforward.”
The passport of the Czech Republic, which has been featured in the top 10 for four years in a row, ranks at number seven this year. “The Czech Republic is a popular ex-pat destination with a rich culture. Located in the center of Europe, the nation joined the EU in 2004.
“Czech passport holders, therefore, enjoy a high degree of travel freedom. Plus, with proper structuring in place, you can also enjoy a considerable degree of tax freedom too.”
Following the Czech Republic, is a newcomer to the top-ten list — New Zealand, where a warm climate, easy-going nature, and cinematic landscapes help ensure the country’s as popular with ex-pats as ever.
The passport which is the ninth most powerful in the world is Sweden’s, which dropped from the joint second last year.
“Sweden is nonetheless enjoying a seven-year streak as a top ten passport. This is due to the country’s excellent global reputation and the high level of personal and travel freedoms afforded, but this comes at the cost of extremely high taxes.”
The last passport on the top-ten list is Finland.
Finland, which was rated number one just a few years ago, still offers visa-free travel to a large number of countries, but more stringent tax policies for ex-pats reduced the country’s score.
Remember that the Pakitan Passport ranking is worst on Global Index. Pakistan’s Passport ranked at 195th number out of 199 passports. But one thing that is highly appreciated here is that still Pakistan hasn’t recognized Isreal and it is clearly mentioned that this Passport is valid for all countries except Israel.
