The Australian passport has slipped down the ranks of the most powerful passports in the world, based on data from the Henley Passport Index.
Now in its 20th year, the The Henley Passport Index ranks a passport’s power based on the number of countries it can allow its owner to get into visa-free.
Australia has slipped one place in the 2026 global passport rankings, moving from sixth to seventh after holding its position for the past two years. Australian passport holders now enjoy visa-free access to 182 destinations.
Singapore continues to lead the rankings for a third consecutive year, retaining its position as the world’s most powerful passport with access to 192 destinations without a visa.
Japan and South Korea are tied in second place, each offering visa-free entry to 188 destinations, reinforcing Asia’s strong presence at the top of the list.
A group of five European countries — Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland — follows in third place with access to 186 destinations, while Europe’s dominance is further reflected in a record 10 countries sharing fourth position: Austria, Finland, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway.
Outside Europe, the United Arab Emirates ranks fifth, followed by New Zealand in sixth. Canada and Malaysia sit in eighth and ninth place respectively.
The United States has returned to the top 10 in 10th position after briefly dropping out in late 2025, though its re-entry highlights a longer-term decline for both the US and the UK, which last jointly held the top spot in 2014.
While the US rose to 10th spot, with its passport holders travelling visa-free to 179 destinations, it only allows 46 nationalities to enter without a prior visa, placing it 78th out of 199 countries and territories worldwide on the Henley Openness Index. This disparity between outbound mobility and inbound openness is among the widest globally, second only to Australia and marginally ahead of Canada, New Zealand, and Japan.
Sitting in last spot once again is Afghanistan, with its passport holders able to travel to just 24 destinations without a prior visa. Above it are destinations such as Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, South Sudan and Sudan and Sri Lanka. North Korea also gets a mention.
10 most powerful passports
- Singapore (192 destinations)
- Japan, South Korea (188)
- Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland (186)
- Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway (185)
- Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates (184)
- Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand, Poland (183)
- Australia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom (182)
- Canada, Iceland, Lithuania (181)
- Malaysia (180)
- United States (179).
The cellar dwellers
90. Congo (Dem. Rep.), Ethiopia, Lebanon (43 destinations)
91. South Sudan, Sudan (41)
92. Iran (40)
93. Libya, Sri Lanka (39)
94. Eritrea, North Korea, Palestinian Territory (38)
95. Bangladesh (37)
96. Nepal (35)
97. Somalia 33
98. Pakistan, Yemen (31)
99. Iraq (29)
100. Syria (26)
101. Afghanistan (24)
