The Belgian passport is the fourth most powerful in the world, allowing its holder to travel visa-free to 190 countries worldwide – four more than in 2023.
The Belgian passport remains in fourth place in the Henley Passport Index ranking of the most powerful passports in the world. It landed in this position earlier last year, having risen from seventh place in 2023. The passport held by Belgians gives visa-free access to 190 countries, down from 191 earlier this year.
Belgium shares fourth place with Denmark, the United Kingdom (a former passport powerhouse that was in first place with the United States for years), New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, which all issue passports of equivalent strength. For several years between 2007 and 2014, Belgium ended third in the ranking. Its lowest-ever position was in seventh place.
People with Belgian nationality can automatically apply for the country's passport. However, non-native Belgians are eligible for citizenship – and therefore also the passport – after legally living in Belgium for five years (if they worked there continuously) or ten years (people who cannot prove economic participation) without any period of interruption. Applicants must have an "unlimited residence" permit at the time of application.
What is world's best passport?
Earlier this year, the top spot in the index was shared by Singapore, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, all boasting the most powerful passports in the world. However, Singapore has now broken away from these six countries, reclaiming its title as the world's most powerful passport.
"The city-state also sets a new record score, with its citizens now enjoying access to 195 travel destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free," a Henley & Partners statement read. France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain drop to joint second place, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations.
Finally, an unprecedented seven-nation cohort, each with access to 191 destinations without a prior visa — Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden — now sit in third place on the ranking.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made it into the top ten for the first time with 185 visa-free destinations – 152 more than in the first index in 2006 – rising from 62nd to ninth position. "This meteoric ascent is the result of deliberate and concerted efforts by the Emirati government to position the UAE as a global hub for business, tourism and investment," Henley & Partners CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen said.
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At the other end of the scale are Iraqi passports (offering visa-free access to 31 countries), Syrian passports (28 countries) and Afghan passports (26 countries, down from 28). This is the lowest score ever recorded in the history of the 19-year-old index and brings the gap between the "strongest and weakest" passports to 169 destinations, the largest global mobility gap.
The ranking, produced by the consultancy firm Henley & Partners based on data from the International Air Transport Association, compares 199 passports and 227 different destinations according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
