Bangladesh has moved up three places in the Henley Passport Index 2026 but still remains among the world’s weakest passports. Bangladesh has ranked 97th in the latest ranking of 199 countries.
Bangladesh shares the same position as North Korea. Only Nepal, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan rank lower. Afghanistan sits at the very bottom of the list.
The UK‑based firm Henley and Partners published the index on Tuesday. According to the ranking, Bangladeshi passport holders can travel to 35 countries and territories without a prior visa or with visa‑on‑arrival facilities. Most of these destinations are in Asia and Africa.
At the top of the index, Singapore continues to hold first place, with its citizens able to travel visa‑free to 192 destinations. Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates share second place, with access to 188 destinations.
Sweden ranks third with 187 destinations, while 11 European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands jointly hold fourth place, with access to 186 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index evaluates 199 passports against 227 destinations, based on visa‑free or visa‑on‑arrival access. The data is drawn from the International Air Transport Association’s Timatic database.
Among South Asian nations, the Maldives holds the strongest passport, ranked 52nd, with visa‑free or visa‑on‑arrival access to 93 destinations.
India is ranked 81st, with access to 55 destinations. Sri Lanka is 94th, with 39 destinations. Bangladesh, at 97th, has access to 35 destinations, followed by Nepal (98th) and Pakistan (101st).
Afghan passport holders can travel to only 22 destinations without prior visas, making Afghanistan the weakest passport globally.
Marking the index’s 20th anniversary, Henley & Partners noted that in 2006, the average passport allowed visa‑free travel to 58 destinations.
That figure has now risen to 108. The report said global mobility has expanded significantly over the past two decades, though geopolitical tensions, wars and conflicts continue to complicate international travel.
Last year, Bangladesh ranked 100th in this index. The year before, in 2024, Bangladesh was placed 97th. In 2020, Bangladesh’s position was 98th. Over the following three years — 2021, 2022 and 2023 — Bangladesh ranked 108th, 103rd and 101st respectively.
The gap between the strongest and weakest passports has also widened. While Singaporeans can travel to 192 destinations without prior visas, Afghan citizens can access only 22.
