According to Henley & Partners, a global citizenship and residence consultancy organization, Pakistan has the fourth worst passport in the world.
The country, which has a population of over 220 million, is ranked 100th out of 227 countries on the index, which is determined by the number of places that its citizens can visit without a prior visa.
Pakistan was listed as having one of the five worst passports earlier this year by the London-based advice company Henly & Partners.
Number of Countries on Arrival on Pakistani Passport
Prior to January of this year, Pakistanis could enter 35 countries with an on-arrival visa option; this number has since dropped to 33.
Japan, which had been at the top of the list for the previous five years, fell to third place, sharing it with South Korea, Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, and Sweden, all of which offer their citizens visa-free travel to 189 countries. Meanwhile, Singapore tops the index as having the most sought-after passport worldwide.
Singaporeans, on the other hand, are permitted to travel to at least 193 of the 227 countries without a visa.
With Germany, Italy, and Spain moving up to the second spot and providing visa-free access to 190 locations, Europe is making a comeback in the rankings of the index, which has historically been dominated by Asia.
Previously dominating the index, the United States of America and the United Kingdom are now seeing a sharp decline in their positions.
With access to 183 visa-free countries, the US’ rating has dropped to eighth, while Britain has improved and is now in fourth place.
The Henley Passport Index, which uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to rate 199 passports, is updated frequently to take account of modifications to visa regulations. Over time, the average number of countries for travelers without a visa has increased from 58 in 2006 to 109.
Despite this, there is still a sizable difference in the degree of travel freedom between the top- and bottom-ranked nations. Those from violent nations like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria have the fewest travel options, with access to just 27, 29, and 30 places, respectively.
“The general trend over the history of the 18-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, with the average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2023,” a statement by Henley & Partners read.
To read our blog on “Online passport fee app officially launched all across Pakistan,” click here.
