Pakistan passport reaches 98th spot in global ranking: Henley Index 2026

Pakistan’s passport has climbed to the 98th position in the Henley Passport Index 2026, marking a welcome improvement in the country’s global travel standing after years of remaining near the bottom of the rankings.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced the development on Thursday, describing it as a “strong achievement” and reaffirming the government’s commitment to further strengthening the passport system. In a post on X, Naqvi said the upward movement reflects ongoing reforms and assured that the momentum would continue in the coming years.

According to the latest Henley Index, Pakistan now shares the 98th rank with Yemen, placing it ahead of Iraq (99), Syria (100), and Afghanistan (101). The index ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a prior visa, including visa-free entry, visa-on-arrival (VOA), and electronic travel authorisation (eTA).

The 2026 ranking shows that Pakistani passport holders can access 31 destinations without a prior visa. These include visa-free travel to Barbados, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.

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

In addition, an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) can be obtained for Kenya, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.

The improvement marks a shift from previous years when Pakistan’s passport consistently ranked among the world’s weakest. It stood at 107th in 2021, dropped to 109th in 2022, and later improved to 100th in 2023 and 2024, before rising further in 2026.

At the top of the index, Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations. Japan and South Korea followed with access to 188 countries, while Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland jointly ranked third with 186 destinations.

While Pakistan’s passport still faces challenges, the latest ranking indicates gradual progress and signals cautious optimism for improved global mobility for Pakistani travellers.