For 5th consecutive year, Pakistani passport ranks fourth worst globally

• Pakistan ties with Yemen at 103rd place on Henley Passport Index 2025, offering visa-free access to 31 destinations
• Ranks above only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan among 199 passports assessed this year
• Singapore retains top spot with visa-free entry to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea and Japan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani passport has once again been ranked among the world’s weakest, placing 103rd out of 199 passports in the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, maintaining its position as the fourth worst for the fifth consecutive year.

In the global ranking released on October 7, Pakistan’s travel document was tied with Yemen, granting holders visa-free access to only 31 destinations out of 227 worldwide. The only countries ranked lower were Iraq (104th), Syria (105th) and Afghanistan (106th).

According to the index, Iraq’s passport allows visa-free entry to 29 countries, Syria’s to 26, and Afghanistan’s to just 24 destinations.

The Henley Passport Index, which assesses 199 passports based on the number of countries accessible without a prior visa or with a visa on arrival, has consistently placed Pakistan near the bottom since 2021.

Pakistan’s passport ranked 100th in 2024 and 2023, 109th in 2022 — when it offered visa-free access to 32 countries — and 107th in 2021, with the same access level.

At the other end of the spectrum, Singapore retained the top spot, offering its citizens visa-free entry to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea (190) and Japan (189).

Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland shared fourth place with visa-free access to 188 destinations, while Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands ranked fifth with 187.

For the first time since the index’s inception 20 years ago, the United States dropped out of the top 10, falling to 12th place, tied with Malaysia, and providing visa-free access to 180 destinations — a sharp decline from its No.1 position in 2014.

The United Kingdom also recorded its lowest-ever standing, slipping from sixth to eighth place since July, despite once topping the index in 2015.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates climbed one spot to eighth, with visa-free access to 184 destinations, while China fell from 59th to 64th, its visa-free score dropping from 85 to 82.