Bangladesh has moved up five positions in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, ranking 95th globally, according to the latest edition of the widely cited passport ranking.
The Bangladeshi passport now offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 37 destinations worldwide. With a mobility score of 38 destinations, North Korea and Palestine are placed just one position above Bangladesh in the index.
According to the latest index, Asian countries dominate the top three positions, with Singapore ranked first and Japan and South Korea sharing second place.
Singapore passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 192 of the 227 countries and territories covered by the index.
Despite the improvement, Bangladesh remains among the world’s weaker passports, ranking as the seventh lowest globally. Within South Asia, it stands ahead of Nepal (96th), Pakistan (98th), and Afghanistan (101st). Maldives emerged as the strongest passport in the region at 52nd position, followed by India at 80th and Bhutan at 85th.
Historical data from UK-based advisory firm Henley and Partners show that Bangladesh recorded its highest ranking in 2006 at 68th, while its lowest positions were in 2021 at 108th and in 2024 at 97th.
Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland shared third place with access to 186 destinations. Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway occupied fourth place, each with access to 185 destinations.
Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Arab Emirates completed the top five, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 184 destinations.
At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan remained the weakest passport globally. It was preceded by Syria in 100th position, Iraq at 99th, Yemen Pakistan at 98th, and Somalia at 97th.
The Henley Passport Index evaluates passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without securing a visa in advance, including visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival, and electronic travel authorisation (eTA) arrangements.
The index is the only global ranking of its kind compiled using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The index assesses 199 passports against access to 227 travel destinations worldwide.
Updated monthly, it is widely regarded as a benchmark for assessing global travel mobility for citizens and governments alike.
