Which passport ranks #1 in the 2026 index?

Singapore holds the top position in the 2026 passport index, granting visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the highest number of destinations worldwide. Several European passports and Japan follow closely, typically within 4-6 destinations of the leader. Rankings are sourced from official government and consular data and reflect access as of the most recent annual update.

How is passport strength calculated?

Passport strength is calculated by counting the number of countries and territories a passport holder can enter without obtaining a visa before travel. This includes visa-free access, visa-on-arrival, and electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) where no advance application to a consulate is required. The score does not include countries that require a full visa application regardless of processing speed.

Why might PassportFactory counts differ from other passport indexes?

Different passport indexes apply different rules for borderline access categories. Some indexes blend visa-free, visa-on-arrival, and eTA into a single headline number; others count only confirmed visa-free entries. Transit rules, conditional access, and recently-changed bilateral agreements are also treated inconsistently across providers. PassportFactory documents its methodology and notes discrepancies where data from different sources conflicts.

Which passport is most restricted in 2026?

Passports from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria consistently hold the lowest positions in the 2026 index, with visa-free access to fewer than 30 destinations. The gap between the strongest and weakest passport - the global mobility gap - represents the difference in practical travel freedom between the best and worst-ranked document.

How often is the passport index updated?

PassportFactory updates its ranking data annually, drawing from official government portals, consular sources, and diplomatic agreement records. Because visa policies can change mid-year without broad public notice, the index reflects the most recent annual snapshot. For any specific trip, always verify current entry requirements through the official immigration authority of your destination.

Passport Index 2026

Passport Index 2026: Global Visa-Free Rankings

Visa-free access rankings for 199 passports worldwide.

Passport strength determines where you can travel without a pre-arranged visa, how long you can stay, and whether you qualify for visa-on-arrival or electronic travel authorization. Rankings are calculated from official government and consular data, updated annually. Use this index to find your passport's global access position and compare it against every other country worldwide.

Singapore

192 visa-free countries

Rank: #1

ASIA

United Arab Emirates

187 visa-free countries

Rank: #2

MIDDLE EAST

South Korea

187 visa-free countries

Rank: #2

ASIA

Japan

187 visa-free countries

Rank: #2

ASIA

Sweden

186 visa-free countries

Rank: #3

EUROPE

Luxembourg

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Finland

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Norway

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Ireland

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Spain

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Belgium

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

France

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Switzerland

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Germany

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Netherlands

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Denmark

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Italy

185 visa-free countries

Rank: #4

EUROPE

Portugal

184 visa-free countries

Rank: #5

EUROPE

Austria

184 visa-free countries

Rank: #5

EUROPE

Greece

184 visa-free countries

Rank: #5

EUROPE

Malta

184 visa-free countries

Rank: #5

EUROPE

Malaysia

183 visa-free countries

Rank: #6

ASIA

United Kingdom

183 visa-free countries

Rank: #6

EUROPE

Poland

183 visa-free countries

Rank: #6

EUROPE

Hungary

183 visa-free countries

Rank: #6

EUROPE

Canada

182 visa-free countries

Rank: #7

AMERICAS

Slovenia

182 visa-free countries

Rank: #7

EUROPE

Slovakia

182 visa-free countries

Rank: #7

EUROPE

Australia

182 visa-free countries

Rank: #7

OCEANIA

Czechia

182 visa-free countries

Rank: #7

EUROPE

New Zealand

182 visa-free countries

Rank: #7

OCEANIA

Latvia

182 visa-free countries

Rank: #7

EUROPE

Estonia

181 visa-free countries

Rank: #8

EUROPE

Croatia

181 visa-free countries

Rank: #8

EUROPE

Lithuania

180 visa-free countries

Rank: #9

EUROPE

Liechtenstein

180 visa-free countries

Rank: #9

EUROPE

United States

179 visa-free countries

Rank: #10

AMERICAS

Iceland

179 visa-free countries

Rank: #10

EUROPE

Romania

177 visa-free countries

Rank: #11

EUROPE

Bulgaria

177 visa-free countries

Rank: #11

EUROPE

Monaco

176 visa-free countries

Rank: #12

EUROPE

Cyprus

174 visa-free countries

Rank: #13

EUROPE

Hong Kong

174 visa-free countries

Rank: #13

ASIA

Chile

174 visa-free countries

Rank: #13

AMERICAS

Andorra

169 visa-free countries

Rank: #14

EUROPE

Argentina

168 visa-free countries

Rank: #15

AMERICAS

Brazil

168 visa-free countries

Rank: #15

AMERICAS

Israel

166 visa-free countries

Rank: #16

MIDDLE EAST

San Marino

166 visa-free countries

Rank: #16

EUROPE

Brunei

163 visa-free countries

Rank: #17

ASIA

Barbados

163 visa-free countries

Rank: #17

CARIBBEAN

The Bahamas

158 visa-free countries

Rank: #18

CARIBBEAN

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

157 visa-free countries

Rank: #19

CARIBBEAN

St. Kitts and Nevis

157 visa-free countries

Rank: #19

CARIBBEAN

Mexico

156 visa-free countries

Rank: #20

AMERICAS

Uruguay

155 visa-free countries

Rank: #21

AMERICAS

Seychelles

154 visa-free countries

Rank: #22

AFRICA

Antigua and Barbuda

154 visa-free countries

Rank: #22

CARIBBEAN

Vatican City

151 visa-free countries

Rank: #23

EUROPE

Costa Rica

148 visa-free countries

Rank: #24

AMERICAS

Panama

147 visa-free countries

Rank: #25

AMERICAS

Mauritius

147 visa-free countries

Rank: #25

AFRICA

Grenada

147 visa-free countries

Rank: #25

CARIBBEAN

Paraguay

145 visa-free countries

Rank: #26

AMERICAS

Dominica

145 visa-free countries

Rank: #26

CARIBBEAN

Trinidad and Tobago

145 visa-free countries

Rank: #26

CARIBBEAN

St. Lucia

144 visa-free countries

Rank: #27

CARIBBEAN

Ukraine

142 visa-free countries

Rank: #28

EUROPE

Macao (SAR China)

141 visa-free countries

Rank: #29

ASIA

Peru

141 visa-free countries

Rank: #29

AMERICAS

Serbia

135 visa-free countries

Rank: #30

EUROPE

Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)

134 visa-free countries

Rank: #31

ASIA

Guatemala

132 visa-free countries

Rank: #32

AMERICAS

Solomon Islands

132 visa-free countries

Rank: #32

OCEANIA

El Salvador

131 visa-free countries

Rank: #33

AMERICAS

Colombia

130 visa-free countries

Rank: #34

AMERICAS

Honduras

129 visa-free countries

Rank: #35

AMERICAS

Samoa

129 visa-free countries

Rank: #35

OCEANIA

Tonga

127 visa-free countries

Rank: #36

OCEANIA

Marshall Islands

127 visa-free countries

Rank: #36

OCEANIA

North Macedonia

126 visa-free countries

Rank: #37

EUROPE

Montenegro

126 visa-free countries

Rank: #37

EUROPE

Nicaragua

125 visa-free countries

Rank: #38

AMERICAS

Tuvalu

125 visa-free countries

Rank: #38

OCEANIA

Kiribati

122 visa-free countries

Rank: #39

OCEANIA

Albania

121 visa-free countries

Rank: #40

EUROPE

Bosnia and Herzegovina

121 visa-free countries

Rank: #40

EUROPE

Palau Islands

120 visa-free countries

Rank: #41

OCEANIA

Micronesia

120 visa-free countries

Rank: #41

OCEANIA

Georgia

120 visa-free countries

Rank: #41

EUROPE

Moldova

119 visa-free countries

Rank: #42

EUROPE

Venezuela

116 visa-free countries

Rank: #43

AMERICAS

Russia

113 visa-free countries

Rank: #44

EUROPE

Turkey

113 visa-free countries

Rank: #44

ASIA

Qatar

111 visa-free countries

Rank: #45

MIDDLE EAST

Belize

100 visa-free countries

Rank: #46

AMERICAS

South Africa

100 visa-free countries

Rank: #46

AFRICA

Kuwait

96 visa-free countries

Rank: #47

MIDDLE EAST

Ecuador

93 visa-free countries

Rank: #48

AMERICAS

Maldives

92 visa-free countries

Rank: #49

ASIA

Timor-Leste

92 visa-free countries

Rank: #49

ASIA

Guyana

88 visa-free countries

Rank: #50

AMERICAS

Saudi Arabia

87 visa-free countries

Rank: #51

MIDDLE EAST

Bahrain

87 visa-free countries

Rank: #51

MIDDLE EAST

Vanuatu

87 visa-free countries

Rank: #51

OCEANIA

Fiji

87 visa-free countries

Rank: #51

OCEANIA

Nauru

86 visa-free countries

Rank: #52

OCEANIA

Jamaica

85 visa-free countries

Rank: #53

CARIBBEAN

Papua New Guinea

84 visa-free countries

Rank: #54

OCEANIA

Oman

84 visa-free countries

Rank: #54

MIDDLE EAST

China

82 visa-free countries

Rank: #55

ASIA

Botswana

81 visa-free countries

Rank: #56

AFRICA

Kosovo

81 visa-free countries

Rank: #56

EUROPE

Kazakhstan

78 visa-free countries

Rank: #57

ASIA

Bolivia

77 visa-free countries

Rank: #58

AMERICAS

Belarus

77 visa-free countries

Rank: #58

EUROPE

Thailand

76 visa-free countries

Rank: #59

ASIA

Suriname

75 visa-free countries

Rank: #60

AMERICAS

Namibia

74 visa-free countries

Rank: #61

AFRICA

Lesotho

73 visa-free countries

Rank: #62

AFRICA

Morocco

71 visa-free countries

Rank: #63

AFRICA

Dominican Republic

71 visa-free countries

Rank: #63

CARIBBEAN

eSwatini

71 visa-free countries

Rank: #63

AFRICA

Malawi

70 visa-free countries

Rank: #64

AFRICA

Indonesia

70 visa-free countries

Rank: #64

ASIA

Kenya

69 visa-free countries

Rank: #65

AFRICA

Tanzania

68 visa-free countries

Rank: #66

AFRICA

The Gambia

68 visa-free countries

Rank: #66

AFRICA

Ghana

67 visa-free countries

Rank: #67

AFRICA

Azerbaijan

67 visa-free countries

Rank: #67

EUROPE

Tunisia

66 visa-free countries

Rank: #68

AFRICA

Rwanda

66 visa-free countries

Rank: #68

AFRICA

Benin

65 visa-free countries

Rank: #69

AFRICA

Philippines

65 visa-free countries

Rank: #69

ASIA

Uganda

65 visa-free countries

Rank: #69

AFRICA

Zambia

64 visa-free countries

Rank: #70

AFRICA

Mongolia

64 visa-free countries

Rank: #70

ASIA

Armenia

64 visa-free countries

Rank: #70

MIDDLE EAST

Cape Verde Islands

63 visa-free countries

Rank: #71

AFRICA

Sierra Leone

62 visa-free countries

Rank: #72

AFRICA

Zimbabwe

61 visa-free countries

Rank: #73

AFRICA

Uzbekistan

59 visa-free countries

Rank: #74

ASIA

Mozambique

59 visa-free countries

Rank: #74

AFRICA

Kyrgyzstan

59 visa-free countries

Rank: #74

ASIA

São Tomé and Príncipe

58 visa-free countries

Rank: #75

AFRICA

Togo

57 visa-free countries

Rank: #76

AFRICA

Senegal

56 visa-free countries

Rank: #77

AFRICA

Burkina Faso

56 visa-free countries

Rank: #77

AFRICA

India

56 visa-free countries

Rank: #77

ASIA

Cuba

56 visa-free countries

Rank: #77

CARIBBEAN

Côte d'Ivoire

55 visa-free countries

Rank: #78

AFRICA

Mauritania

55 visa-free countries

Rank: #78

AFRICA

Madagascar

55 visa-free countries

Rank: #78

AFRICA

Gabon

55 visa-free countries

Rank: #78

AFRICA

Algeria

55 visa-free countries

Rank: #78

AFRICA

Niger

54 visa-free countries

Rank: #79

AFRICA

Mali

53 visa-free countries

Rank: #80

AFRICA

Tajikistan

53 visa-free countries

Rank: #80

ASIA

Guinea

52 visa-free countries

Rank: #81

AFRICA

Equatorial Guinea

52 visa-free countries

Rank: #81

AFRICA

Chad

51 visa-free countries

Rank: #82

AFRICA

Comoro Islands

50 visa-free countries

Rank: #83

AFRICA

Guinea-Bissau

50 visa-free countries

Rank: #83

AFRICA

Egypt

49 visa-free countries

Rank: #84

AFRICA

Liberia

49 visa-free countries

Rank: #84

AFRICA

Haiti

49 visa-free countries

Rank: #84

CARIBBEAN

Jordan

49 visa-free countries

Rank: #84

MIDDLE EAST

Vietnam

48 visa-free countries

Rank: #85

ASIA

Central African Republic

48 visa-free countries

Rank: #85

AFRICA

Angola

48 visa-free countries

Rank: #85

AFRICA

Burundi

48 visa-free countries

Rank: #85

AFRICA

Cameroon

47 visa-free countries

Rank: #86

AFRICA

Cambodia

47 visa-free countries

Rank: #86

ASIA

Bhutan

47 visa-free countries

Rank: #86

ASIA

Congo (Rep.)

46 visa-free countries

Rank: #87

AFRICA

Djibouti

45 visa-free countries

Rank: #88

AFRICA

Laos

45 visa-free countries

Rank: #88

ASIA

Turkmenistan

45 visa-free countries

Rank: #88

ASIA

Nigeria

44 visa-free countries

Rank: #89

AFRICA

Lebanon

43 visa-free countries

Rank: #90

MIDDLE EAST

Congo (Dem. Rep.)

43 visa-free countries

Rank: #90

AFRICA

Myanmar

42 visa-free countries

Rank: #91

ASIA

Ethiopia

42 visa-free countries

Rank: #91

AFRICA

Sudan

41 visa-free countries

Rank: #92

AFRICA

South Sudan

41 visa-free countries

Rank: #92

AFRICA

Sri Lanka

39 visa-free countries

Rank: #93

ASIA

Libya

39 visa-free countries

Rank: #93

AFRICA

Eritrea

38 visa-free countries

Rank: #94

AFRICA

Palestinian Territory

38 visa-free countries

Rank: #94

MIDDLE EAST

Iran

38 visa-free countries

Rank: #94

MIDDLE EAST

Bangladesh

36 visa-free countries

Rank: #95

ASIA

North Korea

35 visa-free countries

Rank: #96

ASIA

Nepal

35 visa-free countries

Rank: #96

ASIA

Somalia

32 visa-free countries

Rank: #97

AFRICA

Pakistan

31 visa-free countries

Rank: #98

ASIA

Yemen

31 visa-free countries

Rank: #98

MIDDLE EAST

Iraq

29 visa-free countries

Rank: #99

MIDDLE EAST

Syria

26 visa-free countries

Rank: #100

MIDDLE EAST

Afghanistan

23 visa-free countries

Rank: #101

ASIA

At a glance

Strongest passports in 2026

Passports ranked 1-10 by visa-free access. Ties in rank reflect equal destination counts.

Rank	Country	Region	Visa-Free Destinations
#1	Singapore	ASIA	192
#2	United Arab Emirates	MIDDLE EAST	187
#2	South Korea	ASIA	187
#2	Japan	ASIA	187
#3	Sweden	EUROPE	186
#4	Luxembourg	EUROPE	185
#4	Finland	EUROPE	185
#4	Norway	EUROPE	185
#4	Ireland	EUROPE	185
#4	Spain	EUROPE	185
#4	Belgium	EUROPE	185
#4	France	EUROPE	185
#4	Switzerland	EUROPE	185
#4	Germany	EUROPE	185
#4	Netherlands	EUROPE	185
#4	Denmark	EUROPE	185
#4	Italy	EUROPE	185
#5	Portugal	EUROPE	184
#5	Austria	EUROPE	184
#5	Greece	EUROPE	184
#5	Malta	EUROPE	184
#6	Malaysia	ASIA	183
#6	United Kingdom	EUROPE	183
#6	Poland	EUROPE	183
#6	Hungary	EUROPE	183
#7	Canada	AMERICAS	182
#7	Slovenia	EUROPE	182
#7	Slovakia	EUROPE	182
#7	Australia	OCEANIA	182
#7	Czechia	EUROPE	182
#7	New Zealand	OCEANIA	182
#7	Latvia	EUROPE	182
#8	Estonia	EUROPE	181
#8	Croatia	EUROPE	181
#9	Lithuania	EUROPE	180
#9	Liechtenstein	EUROPE	180
#10	United States	AMERICAS	179
#10	Iceland	EUROPE	179

The global mobility gap in 2026: the difference between the most accessible passport (Singapore, 192 destinations) and the most-restricted (Afghanistan, 23 destinations) is 169 destinations.

Methodology

How passport strength is measured

Each passport receives a score equal to the number of countries and territories its holder can enter without obtaining a visa before departure. This includes:

Visa-free entry - board a flight, present a passport, enter. No advance application.
Visa-on-arrival - obtain a stamp or fee receipt at the port of entry with no pre-travel consular step required.
Electronic travel authorization (eTA) - complete a short online form before departure but without visiting a consulate or embassy.

Countries requiring a full visa application - regardless of how fast the process is - do not count toward the score. Data is sourced from official government portals and consular records and updated annually.

Practical meaning

What a high rank actually unlocks

Passport rank determines practical travel freedom but does not determine all entry rights. A high-ranked passport holder can typically:

Board a flight to most destinations with no visa queue, no consulate wait, no documentation beyond the passport itself.
Enter for tourism or short business visits - typically 30 to 90 days depending on the destination's rules.
Treat last-minute trip planning as logistically feasible without a months-long visa lead time.

A high rank does not grant the right to work, study, or reside in the destination. It also does not override individual traveler-level entry refusals or criminal record checks at the border.

When the index is not the right tool

Rank tells you the score - not always the answer you need

Use the index when:

Researching second citizenship programs and want to measure the access gain from a new passport.
Comparing your country's global rank against peers or tracking year-over-year changes.
Starting research on passport and mobility - the index is the orienting data layer before deeper destination-level checks.

Do not rely on the index alone when:

You have a specific flight booked - always verify current entry requirements with the destination's official immigration authority before travel.
Your passport was recently renewed and you need to confirm validity minimums - most destinations require 3-6 months beyond your departure date.
You want to know stay limits, work rights, or long-stay rules - visa-free entry is almost always tourism-only access with fixed maximum stays.

FAQ

Passport Index FAQ

Common questions about how passport rankings work and what they mean for real travel decisions.