Despite the marginal improvement, Pakistan remains among the lowest-ranked passports globally, placed just ahead of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, which occupy the bottom four positions on the index.

The ranking, released by Henley & Partners, covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations worldwide, measuring passport strength based on the number of destinations holders can access without obtaining a prior visa.

The firm noted that in certain cases, travel bans may take precedence over the visa information recorded in the index.

Singapore retained the top position with a score of 192, followed by Japan at 188 and South Korea and the United Arab Emirates tied at the same score.

Sweden ranked third with a score of 187, while several European countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain, shared fourth place with a score of 186.

At the bottom of the ranking, Afghanistan recorded the lowest score at 22, while Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan completed the bottom four positions.

Pakistan also remained behind several regional peers. India ranked 81st with a score of 55, Bangladesh 97th with 35, and Nepal 98th with 34, leaving Pakistan behind all three in terms of visa-free access despite its year-on-year improvement.

The two-position rise from 103rd to 101st reflects only a limited improvement in Pakistan’s global mobility standing, with the country continuing to face significantly more restricted travel access compared with regional and global averages.

The Henley Passport Index uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association and maintains historical records spanning 20 years, serving as a widely cited reference for governments and policymakers tracking changes in passport strength.