Pakistan passport ranking May 2026 update: Full visa-free list revealed as travel map shifts

Pakistan’s passport ranking has fallen to 100th place in the latest Henley Passport Index May 2026 update, after improving earlier this year to 97th in February from 98th in January and 103rd in 2025, reflecting a year marked by fluctuating mobility performance.

Despite the latest decline, Pakistani passport holders continue to access 30 destinations through visa-free entry, visa-on-arrival (VOA), or electronic travel authorisation (ETA) systems.

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 update reduces the total to 30 destinations, highlighting ongoing adjustments in global visa policies and bilateral travel arrangements.

Pakistan’s passport mobility has shown mixed movement over the past year, driven more by shifting global visa policies than a consistent upward or downward trend.

The trend underscores that Pakistan’s passport ranking remains highly sensitive to international visa policy changes, resulting in short-term fluctuations rather than sustained stability.

Pakistani passport holders can travel visa-free to:
Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, The Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.

VOA access is available in:
Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Niue, Palau Islands, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu.

Kenya, Seychelles and Sri Lanka require an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) prior to departure.

Electronic visa systems are increasingly simplifying travel, allowing applicants to secure entry permissions online before departure. These systems are now widely used across multiple regions.

Africa: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Asia: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

Europe: Albania, Moldova, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

Americas & Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and The Bahamas.

Oceania / overseas territories: St Helena.

The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports across 227 destinations, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Rankings shift when countries revise visa policies, making global mobility a constantly evolving metric.

Singapore, Japan, South Korea and several European countries continue to lead the index, offering access to more than 180 destinations worldwide, highlighting the gap between top and lower-ranked passports.

Experts note that changes in rankings often reflect global policy adjustments rather than sharp declines in travel freedom. Despite fluctuations, Pakistani travellers continue to benefit from access to dozens of destinations through simplified entry systems, keeping short-term travel options broadly stable.