Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has once again been ranked as holding the world’s weakest passport, according to the latest Henley Passport Index 2026, extending a decade-long position at the bottom of the global ranking.
The Henley Passport Index, which ranks passports based on the number of destinations holders can enter without a prior visa, shows that Afghan citizens can travel visa-free to only 24 countries, including Cambodia, Mozambique, Kenya, Somalia, and Sri Lanka.
The continued low ranking reflects the impact of ongoing conflict, the Taliban’s governance, weak diplomatic relations, sanctions, and international security concerns, which have severely restricted the global mobility of Afghan nationals. Limited travel freedom further constrains access to education, employment, and international opportunities for Afghanistan’s population.
Following Afghanistan, the countries with the weakest passports include Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Palestine. Pakistan ranks 98th, three places above Afghanistan, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 31 destinations.
At the opposite end, Singapore tops the 2026 rankings, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations, followed by Japan and South Korea with 188 destinations. Several European countries, including Denmark, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, dominate the upper tiers, while the United Arab Emirates ranks fifth, recording the most significant improvement in global travel freedom over two decades.
Henley & Partners’ analysis highlights that the gap between the world’s strongest and weakest passports has widened sharply, exposing growing global inequality in freedom of movement. Afghanistan’s continued position at the bottom underscores the profound consequences of Taliban rule on citizens’ mobility and international opportunities.
This ranking calls attention to the urgent need for stability, international engagement, and diplomatic normalization, which could expand travel freedom and opportunities for Afghan citizens in the future.
