ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s passport ranking has improved on the Henley Passport Index 2026, moving up five places from 103 in 2025 to 98 this year. The development marks a modest but significant improvement after several years of stagnation near the bottom of the global ranking.
Pakistan is ranked 98th, tied with Yemen. It now stands above Iraq (99), Syria (100), and Afghanistan (101). The Henley Passport Index measures global mobility based on the number of destinations passport holders can access without a prior visa, or through visa-on-arrival arrangements.
The country’s passport holders currently enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 31 countries. These include visa-free travel to destinations such as Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.
In addition, visa-on-arrival facilities are available in countries including Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Nepal, Palau Islands, Qatar, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu.
Pakistan’s passport ranking improving from 126th to 98th is a strong achievement and this momentum will continue, InshaAllah. https://t.co/2PM0UjNo3F
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) January 15, 2026
Pakistani travellers can also obtain Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for Kenya, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.
In such a scenario, Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport, allowing visa-free access to 192 destinations. Japan and South Korea followed with access to 188 countries, and Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland jointly secured third place with 186 destinations.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed the improvement, calling it a “strong achievement” in a post on X. He expressed optimism and pledged that efforts would continue to further enhance Pakistan’s global mobility standing.
The improvement comes after a challenging period for Pakistan’s passport. In October last year, it was ranked the fourth-worst globally for the fifth consecutive year. Historically, Pakistan ranked 100th in 2024 and 2023, 109th in 2022, and 107th in 2021, reflecting limited progress over the past decade.
While the current ranking still places Pakistan among the lower tier globally, analysts note that the upward movement could signal gradual improvements in diplomatic engagement and international cooperation. Observers caution, however, that sustained reforms and long-term policy consistency will be essential to achieve further gains in global travel access.
