Guide Consultants LLC published the Passport Index for 2024, which assesses global travel freedom based on the number of agreements between countries to waive visa requirements for 229 destinations. The methodology of the index focuses on evaluating travel freedom and international mobility, dividing visa-free destinations into five main categories: countries allowing entry without a visa, countries issuing visas on arrival at their airports, electronic travel visas, online visas, and required visas, which necessitate a traditional application through embassies and consulates.
Globally, Singapore topped the 2024 passport rankings (visa-free destinations: 195), followed by France, Germany, South Korea, Spain, and Italy (visa-free destinations: 192; rank: 2), and the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Japan (visa-free destinations: 191; rank: 3). Regionally, the United Arab Emirates ranked first among Arab counterparts and 13th globally in the 2024 passport classification, allowing visa-free entry to 179 destinations, followed by Qatar (global rank: 50; visa-free destinations: 102), Kuwait (global rank: 53; visa-free destinations: 96), and both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (global rank: 59; visa-free destinations: 86), among others.
Locally, Lebanon ranked 91st globally and 12th among its Arab counterparts in the 2024 passport classification, permitting visa-free entry to 43 destinations, including 15 countries with no visa requirements and 27 countries that grant Lebanese passport holders visa on arrival at their airports, with one country offering an electronic travel visa. Additionally, according to a report from the Economic Research Unit of the Lebanese Bank of Credit, 39 destinations require an online visa for Lebanese passport holders, while 147 destinations demand a traditional visa. Following Lebanon were Libya (global rank: 94; visa-free destinations: 39), Palestine (global rank: 97; visa-free destinations: 35), Yemen (global rank: 98; visa-free destinations: 34), Iraq (global rank: 101; visa-free destinations: 30), and Syria (global rank: 102; visa-free destinations: 27).