TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 4. Uzbekistan ranked 71st out of 97 in the global passport index compiled by Arton Capital, a Canadian consulting company, Trend reports.
Thus, the country's place in the ranking has been downgraded by 2 positions year-on-year (69th place in 2022).
When compiling the index, the company assessed passports based on how many countries their holders can visit either visa-free or by obtaining a visa upon arrival.
The reason for Uzbekistan's lower ranking (alongside Zimbabwe and Cambodia) is that citizens of the country can only visit 127 countries after obtaining a visa. The number of visa-free countries is only 26, and visas for an additional 45 countries are obtained upon arrival at the destination.
Among the Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan ranks 53rd, Kyrgyzstan ranks 67th, Tajikistan ranks 72nd, and Turkmenistan ranks 79th.
In terms of the strongest country in terms of visa-free access to 125 countries, the UAE passport holds the top position, while Afghanistan is considered the weakest country with visa-free access to only five countries.