Pakistan passport climbs five spots in Henley Index 2026

Pakistan’s passport ranking has improved in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, moving up five places from 103 in 2025 to 98 this year, according to figures released on Thursday.

Under the latest Henley rankings, Pakistan now shares the 98th position with Yemen and ranks above Iraq at 99, Syria at 100, and Afghanistan at 101.

The Pakistani passport currently allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 31 countries across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Oceania.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed the improvement, calling it a “major milestone” for Pakistan and saying the momentum would continue in the coming years.

Pakistani passport holders enjoy visa-free access to Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.

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Visa-on-arrival facilities are available for Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Nepal, Niue, Palau Islands, Qatar, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu.

Globally, Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport for the third consecutive year, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations. Japan and South Korea followed with access to 188 countries, while Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland shared the third spot.