TEHRAN– Iranian citizens have visa-free or visa-on-demand access to 43 destinations around the world.

Iran’s passport has been granted visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 43 destinations in the first quarter of 2023, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.

The Islamic Republic has ranked 99th on the list of the world’s most powerful passports revealed by the index compiled by immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, which compares the visa-free access of 199 passports to 227 travel destinations.

Azerbaijan, Qatar, Lebanon, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Oman, Syria (Middle East), Sri Lanka, Maldives, Macau (China), Cambodia, Malaysia, and Nepal are among the countries that Iranian nationals can enter without a visa.

A trio of Asian passports offers their holders greater global travel freedom than those of any other countries, according to the quarterly report released by the London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm.

Japanese citizens enjoy visa-free or visa-on-demand access to a record 193 destinations around the world, just ahead of Singapore and South Korea, whose citizens can freely visit 192.

Visa-free countries include those where entry is possible without a visa, and with a visa on arrival.

The Henley Passport Index is based on 17 years’ worth of data and is designed to aid governments and wealthy individuals in determining the value of citizenship in various nations around the world by assessing which nation’s passport offers the most visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.

AFM