ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s passport has been ranked the fourth worst in the world by a global index that grades travel documents from different countries on the basis of international mobility enjoyed by their holders.
The Henley Passport Index has exclusive access to data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). It compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 different travel destinations.
The index is updated quarterly and is considered the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum.
Pakistan is placed on the 109th position on the list, the fourth worst in the index, with visa-free access to only 32 destinations across the world. Only three other countries’ passports rank lower than Pakistan’s in the world which include conflict-ravaged Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
A holder of Pakistan’s passport, as per the index, requires visas for 196 travel destinations across the globe.
Pakistan enjoyed its highest ranking on the index in 2006 when it was 79 on the index. The nation’s position gradually fell over the years until it dropped to its lowest ranking of 113 in 2021.
Japan retained its top spot, with a record-high visa-free or visa-on-arrival score of 193.
Singapore slipped to joint second place alongside South Korea, with passport holders from both countries able to access 192 destinations around the world visa-free.
India has been placed at number 87, with visa-free access to 57 destinations, compared to just 23 destinations in 2020.
