Belgian passport holders continue to enjoy some of the world’s greatest travel freedom, although exactly where Belgium ranks depends on which international passport index is used.
The latest Henley & Partners Passport Index places Belgium fourth worldwide, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 186 destinations. Meanwhile, the Global Passport Power Rank published by Passport Index (Arton Global) ranks Belgium joint third, alongside a large group of European countries, based on a broader mobility score rather than solely visa-free access.
Rather than contradicting each other, the two rankings illustrate how different methodologies can produce different league tables while reaching broadly the same conclusion: the Belgian passport remains among the world’s most powerful.
Two indices, two methodologies
The Henley Passport Index has become the most widely cited passport ranking. Using International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, it measures one thing only: how many destinations passport holders can enter without obtaining a visa before departure.
Countries with identical visa-free access receive the same score and share a rank. Because Henley uses consecutive ranking rather than competition ranking, Belgium is listed fourth behind Sweden, even though only one additional destination separates the two.
Passport Index, compiled by Arton Capital, uses a different approach. Rather than counting only visa-free destinations, it calculates a Passport Power Rank based on an overall mobility score that combines visa-free access, visa-on-arrival access and destinations requiring electronic travel authorisation or traditional visas. This results in Belgium sharing third place with numerous European countries, while the United Arab Emirates occupies first place and France, and Spain share second.
The two systems therefore answer slightly different questions. Henley focuses on unrestricted travel, whereas Passport Index attempts to measure the practical ease of international mobility more broadly.
Belgium remains among the world’s mobility leaders
Despite the methodological differences, both rankings place Belgium firmly within the global elite.
Henley ranks Belgium fourth with access to 186 destinations, alongside Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. Only Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Sweden rank higher.
Passport Index likewise groups Belgium among the world’s leading passports, highlighting the country’s extensive international mobility and strong diplomatic network.
Both indices also demonstrate Europe‘s continued dominance. The overwhelming majority of the world’s strongest passports are European, reflecting decades of integration through the European Union and the Schengen Area, as well as extensive bilateral visa-waiver agreements.
Global mobility has expanded dramatically
Henley’s twentieth anniversary edition also highlights how international travel has become significantly easier over the past two decades.
According to the index, the average passport now provides visa-free access to 108 destinations, compared with just 58 when the ranking was launched in 2006. At the same time, competition at the top has intensified, with 38 countries now occupying the top ten positions compared with only 26 twenty years ago.
Singapore remains the global leader in Henley’s ranking with access to 192 destinations, while the United Arab Emirates has recorded the fastest improvement ever seen, climbing dramatically over the past twenty years to share second place. Meanwhile, traditional passport powers such as the United States and the United Kingdom have gradually slipped down the rankings.
Rising mobility contrasts with a less peaceful world
Henley argues that this growing travel freedom comes at a paradoxical moment. While passports have become more powerful overall, the world is experiencing its highest number of armed conflicts since World War II, according to the Global Peace Index.
Henley chairman Dr Christian H. Kaelin says passport strength reflects a country’s geopolitical influence as much as its domestic stability, arguing that nations with the strongest passports are generally those regarded internationally as trusted partners for trade, investment and security.
For Belgian travellers, however the rankings are calculated, the conclusion remains unchanged. Whether placed fourth by the Henley Passport Index or joint third by Passport Index, the Belgian passport continues to rank among the world’s most valuable travel documents, offering its holders exceptionally broad access to destinations across the globe.
