The list has been compiled again this year, and the strength of the Hungarian passport has been re-evaluated. The Henley Passport Index contains all 199 passports in the world, ranked based on how many of the 227 destinations their holders can travel to without a prior visa. The index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has the largest and most accurate travel information database, and has been compiled by the Henley & Partners research team for the past 20 years.
Although European countries dominate the top of the list, Singapore has retained its top spot in the latest Henley Passport Index rankings for the second year running. The city-state’s passport currently allows visa-free entry or visa on arrival to 192 countries, which remains the best result in the world.
European countries dominate the top ten in this year’s ranking, but Asian countries are also holding their own. Japan and South Korea are tied for second place, with both countries’ passports allowing visa-free travel to 188 destinations.
Five European countries are tied for third place: Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, whose citizens can travel freely to 186 countries. Close behind, with 185 destinations, are countries such as Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Austria.
Hungary is in the top five, along with Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Hungarian passport. Photo: Hungary Today
Although Europe performs exceptionally well overall, with 30 countries in the top 10, there are significant differences. With a Belarusian passport, only 79 countries can be visited visa-free, which is only enough for 60th place. Kosovo is in a slightly better position, ranking 59th with 81 destinations, tied with China and Botswana.
According to the Henley Passport Index 2026 ranking, the world’s weakest passports continue to be those of countries where political instability, security risks, and limited diplomatic relations significantly restrict the global mobility of their citizens.
At the bottom of the list is Afghanistan, whose citizens can travel to fewer than 30 countries without a visa, ranking 101st. Just behind it is Syria, which ranks 100th, also with extremely limited international travel opportunities. The third weakest passport is Iraq’s, which ranks 99th, while Yemen ranks 98th. The fifth weakest passport is Pakistan’s, which ranks 97th, with its citizens able to enter only a few dozen countries without a prior visa.
The absolute winner of the past twenty years is the United Arab Emirates, which gained 149 new visa-free destinations, and now ranks fifth in the list. Last year, it was still in 10th place. This rapid improvement is due to active diplomacy, visa waiver agreements, and global economic openness.
Hungary has improved its ranking by 14 places since 2006, and the Hungarian passport has never been as strong as it is in 2026 since the index was first compiled.
The countries of the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe have also made significant progress.
Looking at the 20-year history of the rankings, Venezuela has suffered the biggest decline, followed by Vanuatu and the United States in third place. The United Kingdom is the fourth biggest faller.
Venezuela fell from 25th to 45th place. The United States currently ranks 10th, with visa-free access to 179 countries, while in 2006 it had the fourth strongest passport. This matches its 2025 ranking, when it reached its lowest position in the index in the country’s history. The United Kingdom slipped from third in 2006 to seventh.
Photo: Pixabay
The declines can be attributed to political instability, geopolitical decline, and deteriorating diplomatic relations, which directly undermine the “power” of passports.
According to the creators of the Henley Passport Index, a passport is no longer just a travel document, but also an economic and geopolitical advantage.
While U.S. passport holders can travel to 179 countries without a visa, the United States itself only allows citizens of 46 countries to enter without a visa. According to the Henley Openness Index, this ranks 78th in the world, which is one of the largest differences between outbound and inbound openness on the list.
In contrast, China has introduced visa-free travel for more than 40 additional countries in the past two years alone and now allows citizens of 77 nations to enter without a visa, including Hungarians.
Mobility is increasingly becoming a strategic resource that states use as a diplomatic and geopolitical tool.
This is well illustrated by the recent proposal by the United States, which could effectively end visa-free travel. But Europe has also taken action, tightening entry requirements, especially for citizens of African countries.
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The post Hungarian Passport Reaches New Heights in 2026 Henley Passport Index appeared first on Hungary Today.
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