Ugandan passport improves in global rankings

July 19, 2023 in Business, Transport, Travel & Tourism by Editor

According to the index, a Ugandan passport carries more weight than that of Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iran, Morocco, Nigeria, Syria, or Vietnam.

The travelling power of the Ugandan passport is less than that of its East African Community neighbours, Kenya and Tanzania in annual Henley Passport Index, but above Rwanda’s while Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo stay at the lower ends of the latest rankings.

A holder of a Singaporean passport, which tops the rankings, has visa-free entry to 192 destinations out of 227 in the world. Kenyans have access to 76 destinations; Tanzanians (73); Ugandans (69); Rwandans (63); Burundians (51); South Sudanese (46); Congolese (45).

However according to the index published this week, a Ugandan passport carries more weight than that of Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iran, Morocco, Nigeria, Syria, or Vietnam.

At 24th spot and 155 destinations, Seychelles has the highest ranking for African countries followed by Mauritius (29th), South Africa (51st), Botswana (58th and Namibia (62nd).

After Singapore, the strongest passports are those of German, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg and South Korea. Kenya came in at 67^th, Tanzania 69^th, Uganda 72^nd, Rwanda 76^th, Burundi 86^th, South Sudan 90^th, and the DRC 91^st. At the bottom of the rankings are Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. Updated quarterly, the Henley Passport Index is considered the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum.

More than just a travel document

Henley and Partners said a strong passport provides significant financial freedoms when it comes to international investments and business opportunities. Although there are several passport ranking consultancies available, the Henley Index is widely reputed to be the most authoritative.

“Global connectivity and access have become indispensable features of wealth creation and preservation, and its value will only grow as geopolitical volatility and regional instability increase,” the report said.

The global passport ranking for 2023 was conducted based on data provided by IATA, which ranks the world’s passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.