The world's weakest passports (2026)
Updated 2026-07-15 · free to cite (CC BY 4.0)
Most rankings celebrate the top. This one looks at the other end: the passports that open the fewest of 198 destinations without a pre-arranged visa. The weakest passport of 2026 is Afghanistan, with visa-free-style access to only 22 destinations — 147 fewer than the strongest (United Arab Emirates, 169).
Key findings
- Weakest of all: 🇦🇫 Afghanistan — just 22 of 198 destinations open.
- The mobility gap between the strongest and weakest passport is 147 destinations — a stark map of global inequality.
- Of the 30 weakest passports, 14 are Africa passports — the region most affected.
- The exit hatch: even the weakest passport reaches many more countries with a strong third-country visa. A US, UK or Schengen visa alone unlocks 20+ extra destinations — see visa unlocks.
The 50 weakest passports ranked (2026)
| World rank | Passport | Open (of 198) | Visa-free | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 199 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 22 | 4 | Asia |
| 198 | 🇸🇾 Syria | 26 | 7 | Middle East |
| 197 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 29 | 10 | Asia |
| 196 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 29 | 8 | Middle East |
| 195 | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 32 | 11 | Africa |
| 194 | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 33 | 9 | Middle East |
| 193 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 33 | 16 | Asia |
| 192 | 🇵🇸 Palestine | 35 | 10 | Middle East |
| 191 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 36 | 12 | Asia |
| 190 | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 36 | 12 | Africa |
| 189 | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 37 | 8 | Asia |
| 188 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 39 | 13 | Africa |
| 187 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 39 | 18 | Asia |
| 186 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 39 | 13 | Middle East |
| 185 | 🇱🇾 Libya | 40 | 14 | Africa |
| 184 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | 41 | 17 | Africa |
| 183 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 41 | 26 | Africa |
| 182 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 41 | 13 | Asia |
| 181 | 🇨🇩 DR Congo | 41 | 16 | Africa |
| 180 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 42 | 12 | Africa |
| 179 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 43 | 16 | Middle East |
| 178 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 45 | 20 | Asia |
| 177 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 45 | 13 | Americas |
| 176 | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 45 | 17 | Africa |
| 175 | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 46 | 13 | Asia |
| 174 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 46 | 21 | Africa |
| 173 | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo | 46 | 20 | Africa |
| 172 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 47 | 27 | Africa |
| 171 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 47 | 18 | Africa |
| 170 | 🇦🇴 Angola | 47 | 23 | Africa |
| 169 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 48 | 19 | Africa |
| 168 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 48 | 21 | Africa |
| 167 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 49 | 20 | Middle East |
| 166 | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 49 | 27 | Africa |
| 165 | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 49 | 17 | Asia |
| 164 | 🇹🇩 Chad | 50 | 24 | Africa |
| 163 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 50 | 30 | Africa |
| 162 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 50 | 20 | Asia |
| 161 | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 51 | 19 | Africa |
| 160 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 52 | 24 | Asia |
| 159 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 52 | 26 | Africa |
| 158 | 🇳🇪 Niger | 53 | 30 | Africa |
| 157 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 53 | 28 | Africa |
| 156 | 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast | 53 | 29 | Africa |
| 155 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 54 | 24 | Africa |
| 154 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 54 | 21 | Africa |
| 153 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 54 | 30 | Africa |
| 152 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 55 | 22 | Asia |
| 151 | 🇹🇬 Togo | 55 | 30 | Africa |
| 150 | 🇮🇳 India | 55 | 26 | Asia |
Rank shown is world position out of 199 (higher number = weaker).
Methodology
Scores come from the open Passport Index dataset (a 199×199 matrix of entry rules). "Open" counts destinations reachable without arranging a visa in advance — visa-free, visa on arrival or eTA — out of 198, the same approach used by major travel-freedom indices. e-Visa destinations are counted separately. Figures reflect the latest snapshot; entry rules change, so each passport profile shows a "last verified" date.