ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani passport remains the fourth worst around the globe in the year 2024 as well with no improvement seen in its position for at least the last five years.
The passport has been ranked the fourth worst, as per data from UK-based citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley and Partners, which ranks 199 nations on its index. Pakistani passport ranked just ahead of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s passport ranks 101st (out of 104) on the Henley Passport Index with a score of 34, according to the firm’s Global Mobility Report 2024. This means that people holding an ordinary Pakistani passport can have visa-free access to only 34 out of 227 countries included in the index.
As many as 199 passports were analyzed for the purpose of ranking which is based on the number of countries and territories passport holders can access without a prior visa. The index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
This year, the top slot for the world’s strong passport was won by six countries — France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Singapore, which have ranked first on the index with a score of 194. In 2023, the first and second places were grabbed by Singapore and Japan respectively. For Germany, France, and Italy, the first position means a two-spot jump; the three countries shared the third spot with four other countries last year.
Three countries — Finland, South Korea and Sweden — are tied in the second spot with a score of 193. The third spot is shared by four countries Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands with a score of 192.
Afghanistan continues to occupy the slot for the world’s worst passport with its citizens enjoying visa-free entry to only 28 destinations. The second- and third-worst countries are Syria and Iraq, providing access to 29 and 31 destinations respectively.
Bangladesh ranks 97 with visa-free access to 42 territories. With a score of 45, Sri Lanka is only one spot ahead — at 96. Nepal ranks at the 98th spot with a score of 40. Only India has performed better in the South Asian region which enjoys the 80th spot with a score of 62.
The Pakistani passport gives visa-free access only to the following destinations: Barbados, Burundi, Cambodian, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kenya, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Dominica, Madagascar, Maldives, Niue, Palau Islands, Qatar, Rwanda, Micronesia, Montserrat, Mozambique, Nepal, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
