ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s passport has improved by two places in the latest global passport rankings, moving from 103rd to 101st, but it continues to rank among the world’s weakest passports, ahead of only Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
According to the 2026 Henley Passport Index, Pakistani passport holders can now travel to 29 countries and territories without obtaining a visa in advance, reflecting a slight improvement in international travel access.
The Henley Passport Index, published by global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, evaluates the travel freedom offered by 199 passports across 227 travel destinations worldwide.
The index measures the strength of a passport based on the number of destinations its holders can enter without a prior visa, including countries offering visa-free entry, visa on arrival, or electronic travel authorisation where applicable under the index’s methodology.
Despite the improvement, Pakistan remains near the bottom of the global rankings, highlighting the continued travel restrictions faced by its citizens compared with holders of more powerful passports.
The report also notes that visa policies can be influenced by a range of factors, including international relations and travel restrictions, which may affect a country’s ranking over time.
Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport, offering its citizens the highest level of visa-free travel access.
Among South Asian countries, India ranked 81st, considerably ahead of Pakistan, while Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the index, holding the lowest-ranked passport in the world.
The updated rankings illustrate a modest improvement for Pakistan but also underline the significant gap that remains between the Pakistani passport and those with broader global mobility. Expanding visa-free access and strengthening diplomatic ties remain key factors that could improve Pakistan’s position in future editions of the passport index.
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