ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani passport has once again been ranked the fourth weakest in the world, slipping one place to 101st globally in the latest Henley Passport Index 2026.
The index, which evaluates 199 passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without obtaining a visa in advance, ranked Pakistan 101st — tied with Yemen — with visa-free access to just 30 destinations. Only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan ranked lower, with access to 28, 25 and 22 destinations, respectively.
Over the past two decades, Pakistan’s passport ranking has fluctuated, reaching its lowest position of 113th in 2021 before gradually improving. It ranked 103rd in 2025 and climbed to 101st in 2026.
According to the index, Pakistani passport holders enjoy visa-free access to Barbados, the Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, The Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.
Visa-on-arrival facilities are available in Burundi, Cambodia, the Comoros, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, the Maldives, Mozambique, Nepal, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) are also available for Kenya, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.
Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations.
South Korea, Japan and the United Arab Emirates shared second place, with visa-free access to 188 destinations each, while Sweden ranked third with access to 187 destinations.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain shared fourth place. China ranked 60th, with visa-free access to 83 destinations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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