World's strongest passports revealed as UK documents go up in global rankings

The UK has risen in the global passport power rankings, with Brits more able to travel visa-free than last year.

Over the past eight years the now-blue British passport has slumped from first place in the Arton Capital's passport power rankings in 2014 to fourth.

Despite the post-Brexit slump, UK passport holders are actually able to enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more countries in 2022 than last year.

A British passport gets a holder access to 171 countries in total this year - with 118 of those visa free - compared to 148 in 2021.

The British passport is fourth in the rankings (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Below is a list of all of the countries which required visas for British passport holders last year, and now don't, or require easy to obtain e-visas or visas on arrival:

1. Taiwan (visa free for 90 days)
2. Japan (visa free for 90 days)
3. The Marshall Islands (visa free for 90 days)
4. Micronesia (visa free for 30 days)
5. Vanuatu (visa free for 30 days)
6. Solomon Islands (visa on arrival valid for 90 days)
7. Bangladesh (visa on arrival valid for 30 days)
8. Laos (visa on arrival or e-visa valid for 30 days)
9. New Zealand (electronic travel authorization for 180 days)
10. Hong Kong (visa free for 180 days)
11. Indonesia (visa on arrival for 30 days)
12. Malaysia (visa free for 90 days)
13. Brunei (visa free for 90 days)
14. Vietnam (visa free for 15 days)
15. Papa New Guinea (e-visa valid for 60 days)
16. Philippines (visa free for 30 days)
17. Kazakhstan (visa free for 30 days)
18. Democratic Republic of Congo
19. Burundi (e-visa valid for 30 days)
20. Kuwait (e-visa valid for 90 days)
21. Pakistan (electronic travel authorization for 30 days)
22. Mongolia (e-visa valid for 30 days)
23. Israel (visa free for 90 days)

At the top of the list this year is the United Arab Emirates, where passport holders can access 180 countries.

Emirati passport holders can enter 121 countries without a visa, and get a visa on arrival in a further 59 states.

As they need a visa for just 19 countries, that means they’re able to access 91% of the world’s nations without having to apply for a visa before traveling.

Part of UAE's high ranking is the fact it hasn't cut travel ties with Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine, unlike many Western governments.

This has made it very popular with people travelling between the two countries and those looking to avoid sanctions.

Second place, with 173 countries, is jointly held by a number of European countries within the EU, including Germany, Sweden, Spain, France and Italy.

Ireland now sits above the UK in the rankings, in joint third place.

A major boon for passport holders in the Emerald Isle is that they have the right to remain in 26 other EU member states, while those over the Irish Sea do not.

UAE passport holders are currently top of the list (Getty Images)

This is widely recognised to be the main reason for the spike in people living in the UK applying for an Irish passport .

Non-Irish applicants whose grandparents were born in Ireland or whose parents were Irish citizens at the time of their birth can apply to become Irish citizens through foreign birth registration.

This year to date there were 15,000 applications, compared to 8,000 in 2016, the year of the Brexit vote, the Irish Independent reported.

Applications for an Irish passport for people born outside of Ireland in the UK went from just over 51,400 in 2016 to over 90,800 this year to date.