Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan’s passport has climbed five places on the 2026 Henley Passport Index, moving from 103rd in 2025 to 98th this year, according to the latest figures released on Thursday.
The travel document is now tied with Yemen and ranks ahead of Iraq (99), Syria (100), and Afghanistan (101). It provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 31 countries.
Globally, Singapore leads the ranking with visa-free access to 192 countries, followed by Japan and South Korea with 188. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland share the third spot with access to 186 countries.
For Pakistani passport holders, visa-free travel is available to nations such as Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.
A visa-on-arrival is offered for countries including Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Nepal, Niue, Palau Islands, Qatar, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu.
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Additionally, travelers from Pakistan can obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for Kenya, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed the improvement on X, calling it a “strong achievement” and promising that Pakistan will maintain this upward momentum.
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The Pakistani passport had consistently ranked among the world’s lowest in recent years. It was 103rd last year, 100th in 2024 and 2023, 109th in 2022, and 107th in 2021, reflecting the limited number of countries accessible without a prior visa or with visa-on-arrival.
