The world's weakest passports (2026)

Updated 2026-10-21 · 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)

199🇦🇫 Afghanistan22/198198🇸🇾 Syria26/198197🇵🇰 Pakistan29/198196🇮🇶 Iraq29/198195🇸🇴 Somalia32/198194🇾🇪 Yemen33/198193🇧🇩 Bangladesh33/198192🇵🇸 Palestine35/198191🇳🇵 Nepal36/198190🇪🇷 Eritrea36/198189🇰🇵 North Korea37/198188🇸🇩 Sudan39/198187🇱🇰 Sri Lanka39/198186🇮🇷 Iran39/198185🇱🇾 Libya40/198184🇸🇸 South Sudan41/198183🇳🇬 Nigeria41/198182🇲🇲 Myanmar41/198181🇨🇩 DR Congo41/198180🇪🇹 Ethiopia42/198179🇱🇧 Lebanon43/198178🇱🇦 Laos45/198177🇭🇹 Haiti45/198176🇩🇯 Djibouti45/198175🇹🇲 Turkmenistan46/198174🇨🇲 Cameroon46/198173🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo46/198172🇱🇷 Liberia47/198171🇧🇮 Burundi47/198170🇦🇴 Angola47/198169🇪🇬 Egypt48/198168🇨🇫 Central African Republic48/198167🇯🇴 Jordan49/198166🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau49/198165🇧🇹 Bhutan49/198164🇹🇩 Chad50/198163🇲🇱 Mali50/198162🇰🇭 Cambodia50/198161🇰🇲 Comoros51/198160🇻🇳 Vietnam52/198159🇲🇷 Mauritania52/198158🇳🇪 Niger53/198157🇬🇳 Guinea53/198156🇨🇮 Ivory Coast53/198155🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea54/198154🇩🇿 Algeria54/198153🇧🇫 Burkina Faso54/198152🇹🇯 Tajikistan55/198151🇹🇬 Togo55/198150🇮🇳 India55/198

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.

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