Singapore retains world’s most powerful passport in 2026
Singapore has retained the top position in the latest Henley Passport Index, while Kazakhstan continues to hold the strongest passport in Central Asia, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to the July 2026 ranking, Singaporean passport holders can travel to 192 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance.
Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates share second place, with access to 188 destinations each. The UAE has climbed three positions since the beginning of the year and recorded the greatest improvement in the index’s 20-year history. Over this period, the number of destinations accessible to Emirati citizens without a prior visa increased by 153.
Sweden ranks third with access to 187 destinations. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain share fourth place with a score of 186.
The United Kingdom has risen to sixth place after gaining visa-free access to China and Malawi. The United States remains in 10th place, allowing its citizens to visit 180 destinations without a prior visa.
Kazakhstan ranks 63rd with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 77 destinations, sharing the position with Bolivia and Thailand. It remains the highest-ranked country in Central Asia.
Kyrgyzstan occupies 77th place with access to 59 destinations, followed by Uzbekistan in 78th place with 58, Tajikistan in 84th with 52, and Turkmenistan in 90th with 44.
Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the ranking, with its citizens able to access only 22 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance. The gap between the strongest and weakest passports has consequently reached a record 170 destinations.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan had also emerged as Central Asia’s top performer in the Global Passport Index 2026.
