The world’s most powerful passports for 2026 have been revealed, and Singapore stays regular within the primary spot for the second yr in a row. The city-state’s passport as soon as once more got here out on prime within the first 2026 rating, permitting its holders to journey to 192 international locations visa-free.
While it stays within the prime spot, the variety of visa-free international locations out there to Singapore’s residents has dropped from its record-setting 195 visa-free international locations within the January 2025 rankings. Japan and South Korea stay tied in second place, with residents of each international locations capable of journey to 188 out of the 227 international locations and territories included within the Index visa-free.
There has been some change in third place, with Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland tied with 186 international locations, with France and Finland slipping down the rankings into fourth place.
See the full list of the world’s 20 most powerful passports at the end of this page.
How are the world’s most powerful passports determined?
The world’s most powerful passports are ranked twice a yr in The Henley Passport Index, compiled by consultancy agency Henley & Partners primarily based on official information from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The rankings present the world’s most powerful passports, and 2026’s rankings, launched on Tuesday, 13 January, present the most recent standing for the world’s 199 completely different passports. According to this information, a passport’s energy is decided by what number of international locations are accessible and visa-free for a nation’s residents.
The UAE passport continues to climb the ability ranks
The UAE passport has climbed three positions within the 2026 rankings to quantity 5, tied with Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia, with 184 international locations out there visa-free. It stays the one Arab nation within the prime 10, marking the largest energy shift of any passport on the earth over the previous decade, rising a staggering 57 locations. The Henley & Partners report says the nation’s ascent is the results of “sustained diplomatic engagement and visa liberalisation.”