Henley Passport Index
This is a taste2travel post on the Henley Passport Index.
Latest Update – January 2026
Introduction
Updated: January 2026
Henley & Partners of London have just released their 2026 Henley Passport Index to reflect the current strength of all passports.
You can read about the 2026 update in this Henley press release.
2026 Index Stats
- 227 – Number of travel destinations that may require a visa
- 192 – Number of destinations the top-ranked passport, Singapore, can access visa-free
- 24 – Number of destinations the bottom-ranked passport, Afghanistan, can access visa-free
Once again, Singapore tops the rankings offering visa-free travel to 192 of 227 countries and territories.
What exactly is the Passport Index?
The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
For the past 20 years, the index has measured the strength of 199 different passports, and the visa-free access they enjoy to 227 travel destinations – both countries and territories.
A Measure of Passport Power
In 1984, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, passed a law offering citizenship to individuals who “made a substantial investment in the state” and were of good character and not a threat to the country.
Since then, other Caribbean nations such as Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia and Grenada have introduced their own citizenship programs which allow for those willing to pay a substantial fee the opportunity to easily acquire a 2nd passport.
For consulting firms in the residence and citizenship-by-investment industry, there is a need to rank the ‘quality’ or ‘power’ of different passports.
One such firm – Henley & Partners – publish the Henley Passport Index which is an annual ranking of all the passports of the world according to the number of countries their holders can travel to visa-free.
The ranking is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains a comprehensive database of global travel information. The IATA data is augmented by in-house research conducted by Henley & Partners itself.
Index Mechanics
The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.
For each travel destination, if no visa is required for passport holders from a country or territory, then a score with value = 1 is created for that passport. A score with value = 1 is also applied if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) when entering the destination.
These visa-types require no pre-departure government approval, because of the specific visa-waiver programs in place.
Where a visa is required, or where a passport holder has to obtain a government-approved electronic visa before departure, a score with value = 0 is assigned. A score with value = 0 is also assigned if passport holders need pre-departure government approval for a visa on arrival, a scenario not considered ‘visa-free’.
The total score for each passport is equal to the number of destinations for which no visa is required (value = 1), under the conditions defined above.
2026 Henley Passport Index
2026 – Top 10 Passports
2026 Henley Passport Index – Top 10.
For the 3rd year running, the strongest passport in the world is Singapore, which offers visa-free access to 192 (out of 227) countries and territories.
According to the 2026 Henley Passport Index, the Singapore passport is, once again, the strongest passport in the world.
Of the 38 countries listed in the top 10 – 28 are European!
Japan and South Korea occupy 2nd place offering visa-free travel to 188 of 227 countries and territories.
One noticeable move is the United Arab Emirates passport, which has moved up to 5th position, continuing its steady accent up the rankings list.
On the downside – the passport of the United States has fallen to 10th position, continuing its downward trend of recent years. Based on the current trend, the US passport could possibly move out of the top 10 in 2027.
2026 – Bottom 10 Passports
2026 Henley Passport Index – Bottom 10.
Just as Singapore maintains its top position in the index, sadly, Afghanistan continues to maintain last place, providing visa-free access to just 24 countries.
According to the 2026 Henley Passport Index, the Afghan passport is, once again, the weakest passport in the world.
What is not reflected in the index is the added complication for Afghans in that almost all embassies in Kabul closed their doors when the Taliban swept to power.
The only way for Afghans to apply for a visa is to first leave their country, often on foot, and travel overland to a neighbouring country where they can then apply for a visa which will allow them to travel.
Online Passport Comparison
The Henley & Partners website allows you to compare the strength of your passport and to view the performance of your passport during the 20 years in which the index has been compiled.
This feature will also list all countries which are visa-free for the selected nationality.
How does your passport measure up?
That’s the end of this featured article on the Henley Passport Index.
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Safe Travels!
Darren
