The world's weakest passports (2026)
Updated 2026-08-27 · 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)
🇦🇫 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
🇮🇳 India55/198Rank 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.