World's Top 10 Strongest Passports in 2026 : Check Top Rankings and Where India Stands

With visa-free entry to 192 locations, Singapore's passport continues to be the "most powerful" in the world for the second consecutive year. Afghanistan, on the other hand, is once again at the bottom of the list, with passport holders only permitted to visit 24 locations without a prior visa.

The 168-destination difference serves as a striking example of the extent of mobility inequities in 2026,which have grown considerably since 2006.

Singapore Continues To Hold Its Position as the Most Powerful Passport

Singapore continues to hold its position as the most powerful passportin the world, providing visa-free travel to 192 countries, at the top of the global mobility rankings.

Second place goes to South Korea and Japan, where passport holders can travel to 188 places without a prior visa.

A significant European presence is not far behind.

European Countries Again Make Place In List

With access to 186 places, Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland are the nations that rank third.

With 185 destinations apiece, a record ten European countries—Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway—are tied for fourth position.

Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the UAE rank fifth with 184 visa-free travel options, which reflects both the UAE's strong visa diplomacy and European integration.

List Of Top Most Powerful Passport In World

Where does India Lies In The List?

In the recently published Henley Passport Index, the Indian passportmoved up five spots to the 80th position.Indian passport holders can now enter 55 countries without a visa or with one upon arrival.

India placed 85th on the list of the strongest passports in the world in 2025, although it offered visa-free or e-visa access to 57 countries. It was ranked 80th in 2024.

USA Ranked 78th In The List

• A growing disparity between outbound mobility and inward access is highlighted in the research.
• The United States ranks 78th on the Henley Openness Index because it only permits 46 nationalities to enter the country without a visa, even though holders of U.S. passports can travel to 179 countries without one.
• China, on the other hand, has opened up to more than 40 countries in just two years and now welcomes 77 nationalities without a visa.

How the UAE Managed To Obtain This High Rank 

Driven by strong diplomacy and comprehensive visa liberalization, the United Arab Emirates is a notable long-term success story, acquiring 149 destinations since 2006 and jumping 57 spots to fifth place.

Albania, Ukraine, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, and other nations in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe have all risen to prominence over the past 20 years as a result of regional integration and stronger ties to the European Union.

Another significant mover is China, which has risen 28 spots in the past ten years and now allows access to 141 locations, demonstrating a purposeful strategy of progressive openness.

Afghansitan Ranked Last In The List

Afghanistan is still at the bottom of the index, at number 101, with only 24 destinations accessible without a visa. Iraq is ranked 99th (with 29 destinations), while Syria is ranked 100th (with 26 destinations).

There is a massive 168-destination mobility difference between the passports with the highest and lowest rankings.

Afghanistan,which is placed 101st and has visa-free travel to 24 locations, is at the bottom of the list. Pakistan, ranked 98th, is not far behind.

"Today, passport privilege plays a crucial role in shaping opportunity, security, and economic engagement, with rising average access obscuring a reality in which mobility benefits are increasingly concentrated among the world's most politically stable and economically powerful states."