Pakistan’s passport falls nine places to 183rd in 2026 ranking

Pakistan’s passport has fallen nine places to 183rd in the 2026 global ranking, according to the latest Passport Reports ranking, reversing gains recorded over the previous two years.

The passport has a Mobility Score of 42, meaning Pakistani passport holders have access to 42 destinations through visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic travel authorisations (eTAs), according to Gulf News.

However, the score does not mean Pakistanis can travel to 42 countries without obtaining a visa. Passport Reports lists only nine destinations offering visa-free access to Pakistani passport holders.

A further 29 destinations provide visas on arrival, while four offer access through an eTA. Meanwhile, 156 destinations require Pakistani travellers to obtain a visa before travel.

The nine visa-free destinations are Barbados, Dominica, The Gambia, Haiti, Micronesia, Rwanda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.

A sharp reversal

The latest ranking marks a setback after Pakistan’s passport had improved in recent years.

Pakistan was ranked 180th in 2023, before moving up to 175th in 2024 and 174th in 2025. It has now dropped to 183rd in 2026.

Only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan are ranked lower in the latest index.

The Mobility Score has followed a similar pattern. It rose from 36 in 2020 to 47 in 2023, remained at 47 in 2024, then fell to 44 in 2025 and 42 in 2026.

The nine-place decline this year is the largest year-on-year fall in the period covered by the ranking.

Pakistan’s 2026 position is also 14 places lower than its 2020 ranking of 169th, although its current Mobility Score is six points higher than the 2020 score.

How the score is calculated

Passport Reports uses the Mobility Score to measure destinations where travellers can enter without obtaining a conventional visa in advance.

For Pakistan, the 2026 score comprises:

• 9 destinations offering visa-free access
• 29 destinations offering visas on arrival
• 4 destinations offering access through an eTA
• 156 destinations requiring a visa

Visa-free access is distinct from visa-on-arrival facilities. Under the latter, travellers can avoid obtaining a visa before departure but must meet the destination’s entry requirements and complete the relevant procedures upon arrival.

An eTA is another form of facilitated travel, but it is not the same as visa-free entry. Travellers generally need to obtain electronic authorisation before boarding.

Ranking in perspective

Pakistan’s best ranking in the seven-year table was 174th in 2025, while its highest Mobility Score was 47, recorded in both 2023 and 2024.

The latest figures therefore show a reversal of the improvements recorded between 2022 and 2025.

For Pakistani travellers, 156 destinations covered by the index still require a visa before travel, while only nine offer completely visa-free access.

Passport rankings can differ because organisations use different methodologies and may classify visa-on-arrival, eTA and other forms of facilitated entry differently. The figures above reflect the methodology and data published by Passport Reports.