Oman’s passport is ranked 65th in the world, a fall of three places from 2020, according to the Henley Passport Index: Q1 2021 Global Ranking released on January 5. The sultanate however has improved its ranking on the index from 73rd in 2015 to the 65th currently.

In the GCC, UAE continues to dominate the rankings, ‘which has continued its remarkable upward trajectory on the Henley Passport Index. The UAE now has a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 173 and holds 16th spot on the ranking. This is a stunning ascent when compared to the position it held at the index’s inception in 2006, when the country ranked 62nd, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of just 35,’ stated the Q1 2021 ranking report. UAE is followed by Kuwait (55th rank), Qatar (56th), Bahrain (64th), Oman (65th) and Saudi Arabia ranked 66th. Oman has a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 80. 

As 2021 commences, the latest results from the Henley Passport Index – the ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa – provide insights into the future of travel freedom in a world that has been transformed by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Without taking temporary restrictions into account, Japan continues to hold the No 1 position on the index, with passport holders able to access 191 destinations around the world visa-free. This marks the third consecutive year that Japan has held the top spot, either alone or jointly with Singapore. 

Asia Pacific (APAC) region countries’ dominance of the index – which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – now seems firmly established, stated the report. Singapore sits in 2nd position, with access to 190 destinations, and South Korea holds onto 3rd place alongside Germany, with both having a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 189. 

Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain are ranked 4th, Austria and Denmark on 5th, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden on 6th, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States on 7th, Australia, Czech Republic, Greece and Malta on 8th, Canada on 9th and Hungary 10th. 

The ascendance of APAC countries in the Henley Passport Index rankings is a relatively new phenomenon. Over the index’s 16-year history, the top spots were traditionally held by EU countries, the UK, or the US.