ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s passport ranking has improved, climbing from 126th to 98th in the latest Henley Passport Index. According to the index, Pakistan now shares the 98th position with Yemen and ranks above Iraq (99), Syria (100) and Afghanistan (101). The improvement reflects expanded travel access, with Pakistani passport holders now able to travel visa-free or obtain visa-on-arrival (VOA) in 31 countries. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed the development, describing it as a “strong achievement” in a post on X. He expressed confidence that the upward momentum in passport ranking would continue. Singapore ranked the highest, with visa-free access to 192 countries, followed closely by Japan and South Korea with 188. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland tied for the third spot with visa-free access to 186 countries. According to the Henley Index, Pakistani passport holders have free visa access to Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu. While a visa-on-arrival was available for Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Nepal, Niue, Palau Islands, Qatar, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026