Pakistani passport remains fourth worst in the world

Lahore: Pakistan was ranked at the 106th position among 199 countries in a list of the world’s most powerful passports, according to a report published by Henley & Partners.  

For the 2023 Henley Passport Index, Pakistan has the lowest passport power and ranks at the bottom among the South Asian countries. 

Japan has secured the top spot on the index for the fifth year in a row. 

As per the index, Japanese citizens enjoy visa-free or visa-on-demand access to a record 193 destinations around the world, just ahead of Singapore and South Korea whose citizens can freely visit 192.

Global travel is now at around 75% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest release by Henley Passport Index, which is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). 

Below the top three, a glut of European countries sit near the top of the leaderboard. Germany and Spain are tied on 190 destinations, followed by Finland, Italy, Luxembourg on 189. 

Then there's Austria, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden all tied in fifth place, while France, Ireland, Portugal and United Kingdom are at No. 6. 

New Zealand and the United States make an appearance at No. 7, alongside Belgium, Norway, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

India ranks at 85, Bangladesh at 97, Sri Lanka at 100, while Nepal ranks at 102.  

Meanwhile, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the list, with a score of 27, meaning its citizens can access just 27 countries without requiring a visa in advance. 

The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to their citizens’ passport power, or the number of countries and territories their citizens can access without the need for a visa. The index is updated in real-time, as and when visa-policy changes come into effect.

The report was published by citizenship and residence consultancy firm Henley and Partners. 

The consulting firm analyses 199 passports and 227 travel destinations and updates the index on a quarterly basis.

On the other hand, Arton Capital's Passport Index takes into consideration the passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories—ROC Taiwan, Macau (SAR China), Hong Kong (SAR China), Kosovo, Palestinian Territory and the Vatican. Territories annexed to other countries are excluded.

It's also updated in real-time throughout the year, but its data is gathered by close monitoring of individual governments' portals. 

Arton's Global Passport Power Rank 2023 puts the United Arab Emirates in the top spot, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 181.

The best passports to hold in 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index

1. Japan (193 destinations)

2. Singapore, South Korea (192 destinations)

3. Germany, Spain (190 destinations)

4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189 destinations)

5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188 destinations)

6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 destinations)

7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States, Czech Republic (186 destinations)

8. Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta (185 destinations)

9. Hungary, Poland (184 destinations)

10. Lithuania, Slovakia (183 destinations)

The worst passports to hold in 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index

Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 40 or fewer countries. These include:

102. North Korea (40 destinations)

103. Nepal, Palestinian territory (38 destinations)

104. Somalia (35 destinations)

105. Yemen (34 destinations)

106. Pakistan (32 destinations)

107. Syria (30 destinations)

108. Iraq (29 destinations)

109. Afghanistan (27 destinations)

—With Additional Input From Agencies