The Strongest Passport in the World for 2026 Revealed

January 15, 2026 | 07:57 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Conversations surrounding the strongest passport in the world are never out of date. Against this backdrop, the Henley Passport Index 2026 has officially released its latest rankings, covering 199 passports and 227 travel destinations worldwide.

The Henley Passport Index is an annual ranking published by the England-based citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The global passport rankings are updated monthly, and this report reflects the January 2026 edition.

At the very top, Singapore continues to maintain its long-standing reign in terms of the strongest passport in the world. This year, the small but mighty nation grants its citizens visa-free access to 192 destinations, placing it four destinations ahead of the joint second-ranked countries, Japan and South Korea, which each offer access to 188 destinations.

The third and fourth tiers are largely dominated by European nations. Denmark and Luxembourg, alongside Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, share access to 186 destinations, while Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway follow closely behind with 185 destinations.

While Europe continues to dominate the rankings, several non-European countries also make strong appearances. The United Arab Emirates ranks fifth with access to 184 destinations, followed by New Zealand in sixth place with 183, Australia in seventh with 182, and Canada in eighth with 181. Malaysia and the United States round out the top ten, standing independently at ninth and tenth place, respectively.

List of the Top 10 Strongest Passports in the World 2026

1. Singapore: visa-free access to 192 countries
2. Japan and South Korea: visa-free access to 188 countries
3. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland: visa-free access to 186 countries
4. Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway: visa-free access to 185 countries
5. Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates: visa-free access to 184 countries
6. Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand, Poland: visa-free access to 183 countries
7. Australia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom: visa-free access to 182 countries
8. Canada, Iceland, Lithuania: visa-free access to 181 countries
9. Malaysia: visa-free access to 180 countries
10. United States: visa-free access to 179 countries

Read: Malaysia's Passport Grows Stronger, Ranking Above the United States

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