World's strongest passports in 2026 revealed

The passport rankings for 2026 are out, and the list has hardly changed.

Singapore has retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport, offering access to 192 destinations visa-free, according to the Henley Passport Index 2026.

Japan and South Korea rank joint 2nd, each offering visa-free access to 188 destinations, reinforcing Asia’s long-standing leadership at the top of the global mobility rankings. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland follow in 3rd place with access to 186 destinations, ahead of an unprecedented group of 10 European countries -- Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and Norway -- tied for 4^th.

The remainder of the upper-tier passports continue to underscore Europe’s dominance, with notable exceptions including UAE (5th), New Zealand (6th), Australia (7th), Canada (8th), and Malaysia (9th), the report showed.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Afghanistan once again ranks last, with its passport holders able to travel to just 24 destinations without a prior visa. The resulting 168-destination gap starkly illustrates the scale of global mobility inequality in 2026 — a dramatic widening of the divide since 2006, when the difference between the then top-ranking US passport and Afghanistan was only 118 destinations.

“Over the past 20 years, global mobility has expanded significantly, but the benefits have been distributed unevenly”, said Christian H. Kaelin, chairman at Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index. “Today, passport privilege plays a decisive role in shaping opportunity, security, and economic participation, with rising average access masking a reality in which mobility advantages are increasingly concentrated among the world’s most economically powerful and politically stable nations.”

“A record number of people are expected to travel in 2026. The unequivocal economic and social benefits generated by this travel grow as it becomes more accessible. But while more people have the economic freedom to travel, many nationalities are seeing that a passport alone is no longer sufficient to cross borders”, said IATA director general Willie Walsh. “As many governments look to more tightly secure their borders, technological advances such as digital ID and digital passports should not be overlooked by policymakers. Convenient travel and secure borders are possible.”

The US has returned to the top 10 after briefly dropping out for the first time in late 2025, but this recovery masks a longer-term decline for both the US and the UK, which jointly held 1st place in 2014. The past year saw both countries record their steepest annual losses in visa-free access, shedding seven and eight destinations, respectively. The US has suffered the third largest ranking decline over the past two decades — after Venezuela and Vanuatu — falling six places from 4th to 10th, while the UK ranks as the fourth-biggest faller, down four places from 3rd in 2006 to 7th in 2026.

The UAE stands out as the strongest performer on the Henley Passport Index over the past 20 years, adding 149 visa-free destinations since 2006 and climbing 57 places to 5th on the rankings with access to 184 destinations visa-free, driven by sustained diplomatic engagement and visa liberalisation, the report said.

Countries across the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe have also made significant gains over the past two decades, led by Albania, which climbed 36 places to rank 43rd on the index. Ukraine has risen 34 places (to 30th), followed by Serbia (+30 to 34th), North Macedonia (+27 to 38th), and both Bosnia and Herzegovina (+29) and Georgia (+26), which now share 42nd place. Together, these advances highlight the impact of regional integration and closer alignment with key partners.

Bolivia is the only country on the index to have seen an overall decline in visa-free access over the past 20 years, losing 5 visa-free destinations and falling 32 places to rank at 61st in 2026.