Lebanese passport ranked among least powerful in 2023

As the new year began, Henley & Partners, the global leader in residence and citizenship by investment, released its latest results from the Henley Passport Index.  

The Henley Passport Index provides expert commentary and data provided by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and is updated using extensive research, including an index of 199 different passports and 227 travel destinations.  

Providing substantial insights, the index stated that global travel is currently at around 75 percent of the pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the 'darker side to this optimistic picture," as Afghanistan remains at the bottom, ranking in the 109th position with 27 visa-free destinations, in contrast with Japan, which ranked 1st in 2023 with 193 visa-free destinations.  

As indicated by exclusive research conducted by Henley & Partners into the link between passport strength and access to the global economy, citizens of the index's lowest-ranking countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq (ranked 108th), and Syria (ranked 107th) "are effectively shut out of a shockingly wide breadth of opportunities for economic mobility and growth."   

The research also focused on direct links between passport strength and economic power by combining Henley Passport Index data and World Bank GDP data; the new study indicated that countries having powerful passports account for 98 percent of the global economy compared with passports from the lower end of the spectrum.  

Among the passports ranked in the "Henley Passport Index: Q1 2023 Global Ranking" list, the Lebanese passport was featured among the least powerful passports, ranking in the 100th position in the Q1 of 2023, with 42 visa-free destinations and 185 visa-required destinations.  

Since the start of the economic turmoil, Lebanon and the Lebanese witnessed a passport crisis, with many citizens unable to issue travel documents.  

However, the Director General of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, affirmed that by February 15, the passport production mechanism would return to a production capacity of 3,000 passports per day.