ISLAMABAD: With visa-free access to 30 countries, Pakistan’s passport has been ranked at the 100th spot in the world by the Henley Passport Index.
The Henley Passport Index compares 199 different passports across 227 different travel destinations, and calculates the score based on the number of destinations that can be accessed visa-free.
Over the past decade, Pakistan has remained close to the bottom of the rankings, although its position has steadily improved since 2021.
In January, Pakistan’s rank improved to 98th, up from the 103rd spot in 2025. In the current rankings, only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have scored lower.
In February 2026, Pakistani citizens had access to 32 destinations, up from 31 in January following the reinstatement of The Gambia.
However, the latest May ranking reduces the total to 30 destinations, highlighting ongoing adjustments in global visa policies and bilateral travel arrangements.
The list is dominated by Asian countries, with Singapore retaining its position, while Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates were tied on second place. Sweden places third, being the highest ranked European nation.
A dozen European nations, including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, are tied for fourth place. Meanwhile, the United States comes in at No 10.
India’s passport, meanwhile, has dipped from 75th earlier this year to 78th in the latest index.
Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2026
So Pakistan dropped from 32 visa-free destinations in February to just 30 now? That’s a worrying trend, especially with The Gambia being reinstated and then the count still falling.
At least we’re not dead last like Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, but being 100th out of 199 is nothing to celebrate. The steady improvement since 2021 is positive, but we need more bilateral agreements.
Interesting that Asian countries dominate the top spots while Pakistan languishes near the bottom. Singapore at number one shows what’s possible with strong diplomatic and economic ties.
The drop from 32 to 30 destinations in just a few months shows how fragile these visa-free access arrangements are. A single country changing its policy can set us back.
I traveled to 5 of those 30 visa-free countries last year and it was a breeze. But the fact that we can’t even get into most of Europe without a visa is frustrating for ordinary citizens.
30 destinations visa-free is quite limited. At least it’s better than Syria and Afghanistan, but Pakistan really needs to work on bilateral agreements to improve this ranking.
Pakistan’s passport ranking has been stuck near the bottom for a decade. The slight improvement since 2021 is good but 100th spot out of 199 is still nothing to celebrate.
Singapore topping the list as usual. Pakistan’s drop from 98th to 100th in the latest update shows how fragile even small gains can be when global visa policies shift.
Henley Passport Index is pretty respected globally. The fact that only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan rank below us says a lot about how restricted Pakistani travelers are.