Pakistan climbs to 101st spot on Henley Passport Index 2026

July 22, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan has moved up to the 101st position on the Henley Passport Index 2026, with a visa-free score of 29 destinations, improving from its 103rd ranking a year earlier.

Despite the marginal improvement, the country remains among the lowest-ranked passports globally, placed just ahead of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, which occupy the bottom four positions on the list.

The ranking was released by Henley & Partners, whose index covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations worldwide, measuring passport strength by the number of destinations holders can access without a prior visa.

The firm notes that in certain instances, travel bans may take precedence over the visa information recorded in the index.

Singapore retained the top spot with a score of 192, followed by Japan at 188 and South Korea and the United Arab Emirates tied at the same score.

Sweden ranked third at 187, while a cluster of European nations, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain, shared fourth place with a score of 186.

At the other end of the table, Afghanistan sat last with a score of just 22, with Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan rounding out the bottom four.

This places Pakistan well below most of its regional peers: India ranked 81st with a score of 55, Bangladesh 97th with 35, and Nepal 98th with 34, meaning Pakistan trails all three on visa-free access despite the year-on-year gain.

The two-position climb from 103rd to 101st reflects only a marginal shift in Pakistan's global mobility standing, and the country continues to face significantly more restricted travel access compared to both regional and global averages.

The Henley Passport Index draws on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association and maintains historical records spanning 20 years, positioning it as a widely cited reference for governments and policymakers tracking shifts in passport power.

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