Pakistan passport ranked 4th-worst for 4th consecutive year

For the fourth consecutive year, the Pakistani passport has been termed as the fourth-worst in the Henley Passport Index, which ranks the world’s 199 passports based on the number of destinations their holders can visit without a previous visa.

According to the most recent ranking, Pakistan’s travel document (100th place, tied with Yemen) is only better than that of Iraq (101), Syria (102), and Afghanistan (103) — the same as last year. Pakistani and Yemeni passports allow visa-free travel to 33 states, Iraq’s to 31, Syria’s to 28, and Afghanistan’s to only 26.

"Afghanistan remains firmly entrenched as the world’s weakest passport, losing access to yet another destination over the past six months, leaving its citizens with access to only 26 countries visa-free — the lowest score ever recorded in history of the 19-year-old index,” said a press statement.

According to credible media houses, Singapore once again took the top rank, since its passport allows people visa-free access to 195 destinations, creating a “new record score”.

Germany, Italy, Japan, France and Spain tied for second position, with each passport providing entry to 192 states.

Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden came in third place, with 191 destinations.

The United Kingdom scored fourth, alongside Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland, with access to 190 states, while the United States rated eighth, having access to 186 destinations.

The United Arab Emirates entered the top ten for the first time, having added an “impressive” 152 destinations since the index’s inception in 2006 to achieve its current visa-free score of 185, and rising a “remarkable” 53 places in the ranking from the 62nd to 9th.

According to the press release, Henley and Partners’ CEO Dr Juerg Steffen stated that the UAE’s “meteoric rise” was the consequence of “deliberate and concerted efforts by the Emirati government to position the UAE as a global hub for business, tourism, and investment.

“Our research has consistently shown a strong correlation between a country’s visa-free score and its economic prosperity. Nations with higher visa-free scores tend to enjoy greater GDP per capita, increased foreign direct investment and more robust international trade relationships.”