- Singapore ranks first with visa-free access to 192 destinations in Henley Passport Index 2026
- Japan and South Korea share second place with access to 188 destinations each
- India improves to 80th position, offering visa-free entry to 55 destinations
Singapore has once again emerged as the nation with the most powerful passport, having access to 192 destinations with visa-free facility, the Henley Passport Index 2026 revealed on Wednesday. Japan and South Korea ranked next on the list, sharing the second spot.
In 2025, Finland was ranked after Singapore and Japan. However, South Korea has replaced the European nation this year. Other popular European countries such as Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland also dominated the top ranks, sharing third place.
These rankings are based on each country's visa-free score, which reflects the number of destinations passport holders can access without obtaining a prior visa.
India was ranked at 80th position, offering access to 55 destinations without a prior visa. This marked an improvement as compared to the 85th rank last year.
“The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, giving users the most extensive and reliable information about their global access and mobility,” the report noted.
According to the 2026 list, Singapore topped the chart, while Japan and South Korea were placed second. Singapore passport holders enjoy visa-free entry to 192 destinations. Japan and South Korea follow closely with visa-free travel across 188 destinations for passport holders, as per the report.
Strongest Passports in 2026
1. Singapore (Rank 1)
2. Japan (Rank 2)
3. South Korea (Rank 2)
4. Denmark (Rank 3)
5. Luxembourg (Rank 3)
6. Spain (Rank 3)
7. Sweden (Rank 3)
8. Switzerland (Rank 3)
All the above eight countries were placed in the top three ranks, with many sharing access to a similar number of visa-free destinations.
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway were all placed in the top five with a visa-free score of 185. Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also featured in the top five with visa-free access for their passports across 184 destinations.
India And Neighbours
India's neighbours were also spotted on the list, with Pakistan placed at 98th position. Bangladesh and Nepal ranked 95th and 96th, respectively. Sri Lanka was placed alongside Libya at the 93rd spot.
India shared its 2026 rank with Algeria and Niger, the report revealed. In 2025, India was ranked at the 85th spot, with visa-free access to 57 destinations for passport holders.
Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh also improved their rankings by making it to the top 100 list, compared to their positions in 2025.
Conflict-hit nations such as Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan were placed at the bottom of the list.
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