WEB DESK: For the fifth year in a row, Pakistan’s passport has been ranked as the fourth least powerful in the world, according to the Henley Passport Index’s 2025 Global Passport Ranking. The UK-based consultancy, which specializes in citizenship and residency data, evaluated 199 passports based on visa-free travel rights to 227 destinations worldwide.
The ranking is based on data provided exclusively by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Pakistani passport holders currently have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 31 countries, maintaining the same position as last year. As a result, Pakistan shares the 103rd spot with Yemen, with other countries like Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan trailing behind.
Neighboring nations have varying rankings: China is ranked 64th with visa-free access to 82 destinations, India is at 98 with 57 destinations, and Iran is at 85 with access to 41 countries. At the top of the index, Singapore remains the most powerful passport, granting visa-free entry to 193 countries. South Korea follows closely with access to 190 destinations, and Japan ranks third with 189. European countries such as Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland are tied for the fourth position in the index, with Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands sharing the fifth spot.
China has made significant progress over the past decade, jumping from 94th position in 2015 to 64th in 2025 — a climb of 30 places — and increasing visa-free access from 45 to 82 countries over the same period. Additionally, China has experienced notable growth on the Henley Openness Index, now offering visa-free entry to 76 countries, which is 30 more than the United States, ranking China 65th overall.
For the first time in the 20-year history of the Henley Passport Index, the United States has fallen out of the top ten most powerful passports, sliding to 12th place alongside Malaysia, with visa-free access to 180 destinations.
At the bottom of the ranking, Afghanistan remains the country with the least mobility, as its citizens can access only 24 countries without a prior visa.
