The Pakistani passport retained its poor position in the global rankings and ranked the fourth worst for the fifth straight year, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.

The ranking is based on the number of destinations passport holders can access without a prior visa.

According to the latest global ranking, Pa­­kistani passport was ranked 103 — tied with Yemen — and ranked higher than only those of Iraq (104), Syria (105) and Afghanistan (106).

A Pakistani passport holder has visa-free access to 31 countries out of 227 destinations.

Iraq’s passport allows travel to 29 countries, Syria’s gives access to 26 destinations, and Afghanistan’s passport holders can access 24 destinations without a visa.

Pakistan’s travel document has consistently appeared near the bottom of the index since 2021.

It ranked 100th in both 2024 and 2023, 109th in 2022 when it allowed entry into 32 countries without a prior visa, and 107th in 2021 with the same visa-free count.

India also falls in the ranking

The Indian passport slipped several places, according to the latest passport rankings. The passport now ranks 85th, tied with Mauritania, with visa-free access to 57 countries, according to the Henley Passport Index.

This is a sharp drop from the 77th spot the document held earlier this year, while granting visa-free access to 59 countries.

Top passports

Singapore, South Korea, and Japan dominate the top of the index, with visa-free access to 193, 190, and 189 countries, respectively.

Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland follow with 188 destinations, while Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands rank fifth with 187.

US passport falls in ranking

For the first time in two decades, the US passport has fallen out of the top 10, now tied at 12th with Malaysia, granting access to 180 destinations.

The UK passport has also dropped to its lowest-ever rank, falling from 6th to 8th.

Henley & Partners attributes the US decline to a loss of visa-free access to Brazil, China, and recent changes in Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Somalia, and Vietnam.

Experts note that inward-looking policies, including visa restrictions on several African, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian countries, have accelerated this slide.

China top gainer

Meanwhile, China has emerged as a major gainer, climbing from 94th in 2015 to 64th in 2025, with visa-free access increasing by 37 countries.

The past year alone saw Beijing grant entry to 30 additional nations, including Russia, reflecting a broader strategy to boost global mobility and solidify the Asia-Pacific’s dominance in travel freedom.

The latest rankings underscore a widening disparity between visa-free access and global openness, highlighting both the impact of isolationist policies and the growing influence of emerging nations like China.