World's 10 Most Powerful Passports 2026: Full Henley Index Ranking
As of April 2026, Singapore holds first place in the Henley Passport Index with 192 visa-free destinations. Afghanistan sits at the bottom with 23. In 2006, the gap between the top and bottom passport was 118 destinations. By 2026, it’s 169.
The index covers 199 passports and 227 destinations. It’s updated several times a year – the latest edition is from April 13, 2026.
Top 10 passports in 2026
Singapore is ranked first for the third year running – 192 destinations. Second place goes to the UAE, Japan, and South Korea, each at 187. The UAE has climbed from somewhere in the 60s to second place over the past 20 years.
| Rank | Country / passport | Visa-free destinations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 192 |
| 2 | UAE, Japan, South Korea | 187 |
| 3 | Sweden | 186 |
| 4 | Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland | 185 |
| 5 | Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal | 184 |
| 6 | United Kingdom, Hungary, Malaysia, Poland | 183 |
| 7 | Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Latvia, New Zealand, Slovakia, Slovenia | 182 |
| 8 | Croatia, Estonia | 181 |
| 9 | Liechtenstein, Lithuania | 180 |
| 10 | USA, Iceland | 179 |
The US has dropped 6 places over 20 years – from 4th in 2006 to 10th now. The UK has slipped from 3rd to 6th.
Who’s risen and fallen over 20 years
The UAE has added 149 destinations since 2006 – more than any other country in the index’s history. China moved from 87th to 59th, gaining 29 destinations and reaching visa-free access to 81 countries. India in May 2026 sits at 78th place with 56 destinations, in the same tier as Burkina Faso, Cuba, and Senegal.
The US grants visa-free entry to citizens of 46 countries. China grants it to 77. Beijing has added more than 40 new countries to its visa-free list over the past two years.
The weakest passports of 2026
Afghanistan is last in the index with 23 destinations. Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen follow immediately below.
“Visa-free” in the ranking doesn’t always mean walk right in
Henley counts a destination as visa-free if no visa is required from an embassy before travel. That definition covers four distinct entry formats. For a full breakdown, see “Visa-free, e-Visa, ETA, and visa on arrival – what’s the difference”.
- ETA – Australia, Canada, the UK, Sri Lanka, Kenya. You need to obtain an online authorization before boarding. It takes a few minutes but involves a fee and an extra step.
- Digital arrival card – Singapore, Thailand, Caribbean countries. An online form filled out no later than 24 hours before arrival.
- Visa on arrival – you pay at passport control. Egypt, Jordan, Tanzania.
- Purpose-of-travel restrictions – visa-free tourist entry doesn’t give you the right to work, study, or stay beyond 30-90 days.
The index is updated several times a year, and countries change their entry rules at any time. Check the current entry requirements separately before buying tickets.
What to do next
If you need to compare two passports – for example, when weighing a second citizenship – the easiest tool is the passport comparison tool. It shows exactly which countries one passport can access that the other can’t.
If you need to check entry rules for a specific trip, start from the destination. Open the country page and you’ll see visa rules for all nationalities at once. Or use the visa check to look up your passport against any of the 227 countries.
The index is based on IATA data. It counts destinations you can enter without a visa obtained from an embassy in advance – including visa on arrival.
Singapore – 192 visa-free destinations as of April 2026. Second place goes to the UAE, Japan, and South Korea, each with 187.
Afghanistan – 23 visa-free destinations out of 227. The gap with the top-ranked passport is 169 destinations, a record for the index.
The US is 10th with 179 destinations. It has dropped 6 places since 2006, when it ranked 4th.
Not necessarily. Henley counts destinations as “visa-free” even when a visa on arrival, ETA, digital arrival card, or online declaration is required. Check the current requirements separately before you travel.
The UAE – it has added 149 visa-free destinations since 2006 and climbed 57 places to reach 2nd.