Pakistan’s Passport Ranking Climbs Five Spots to 98th on Henley Index

Jan 15, 2026 | Current Affairs

Islamabad — In a welcome sign of progress, Pakistan’s passport has improved its global standing on the Henley Passport Index for 2026, jumping five places from 103rd in 2025 to 98th this year. The latest rankings, released on January 15, 2026, reflect growing mobility for Pakistani travelers.
The national travel document now ties with Yemen at 98th position — ahead of Iraq (99th), Syria (100th), and Afghanistan (101st). It grants visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to 31 destinations worldwide.

Key Highlights

  • Pakistan’s passport now offers visa-free entry to 10 countries, including Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.
  • Visa-on-arrival is available in 18 territories: Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Nepal, Niue, Palau, Qatar, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu.

  • Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) options exist for Kenya, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.
  • Top global passports: Singapore leads with visa-free access to 192 countries, followed by Japan and South Korea (188 each), while Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland share third place (186 each).
  • Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed the improvement on X, calling it a “strong achievement” and pledging that the positive momentum will continue.

This upward movement marks a reversal from recent years, when Pakistan’s passport had been ranked among the world’s weakest, holding the fourth-worst spot for five consecutive years until last October. The Henley Index measures passport power based on visa-free and visa-on-arrival access, underscoring diplomatic efforts and international relations.

The five-place gain highlights Pakistan’s steady push toward better global connectivity and mobility for its citizens. While challenges remain, this step forward brings optimism and serves as motivation for continued reforms in diplomacy and economic outreach.
As the nation builds on this achievement, it reinforces confidence in Pakistan’s growing presence on the world stage.
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