Pakistani passport fourth-worst in the world: Henley Passport Index

Pakistan’s passport continued to languish near the bottom of the Henley Passport Index 2024 – fourth-worst – just ahead of Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, according to the latest global rankings released on Wednesday.

These rankings come on the heels of fresh sets of rejections for UAE visas for Pakistani nationals during the winter season.

Pakistan’s passport came in at 103 out of 106 in the rankings. Last year, it was also tied with Yemen at 100th place.

The Henley Passport Index ranks the world’s 199 passports according to the number of destinations they can access visa-free, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Singapore retained its crown as the most powerful passport in the world with visa-free access to 195 out of 227 destinations worldwide, and Japan in the runner-up spot with a score of 193.

Pakistan remains among worst passports in the world, Singapore retains top spot

Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain jointly came in third place.

UAE came in 10th place – the only Arab state to ever make it into the upper echelons of the rankings.

The UAE is one of the biggest climbers on the index over the past decade, having secured access to an additional 72 destinations since 2015, enabling it to climb 32 places to 10th spot with visa-free access to 185 destinations worldwide, according to a press release issued by Henley on Wednesday.

US (9th place) and UK passports (5th place) were among the biggest decliners, while China was the biggest climber over the past decade.

Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate at Washington think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the continued comparative decline of the US in terms of global mobility is no surprise.

“Even before the advent of a second Trump presidency, American political trends had become notably inward-looking and isolationist,” according to the press statement.

Dr Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of international investment migration advisory firm Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, added, “the very notion of citizenship and its birthright lottery needs a fundamental rethink as temperatures rise, natural disasters become more frequent and severe, displacing communities and rendering their environments uninhabitable.”

“Simultaneously, political instability and armed conflicts in various regions force countless people to flee their homes in search of safety and refuge. The need to introduce Free Global Cities to harness the untapped potential of displaced people and other migrants, transforming them from victims of circumstance into architects of their own futures has never been more pressing or apparent,” he was quoted as saying in the press release.

US citizens were also notably top applicants for a second citizenship.

Pakistani passport retains status as fourth-worst in the world

Key travel trends in 2025

Meanwhile, the world of travel is preparing itself for a digital overhaul in 2025.

This year marks a pivotal uptick in digital border control, from the UK’s ETA expansions to the long-anticipated European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

The UK has been rolling out its ETA system in phases. Initially open to Gulf Cooperation Council nationals in February 2024, the scheme extends to eligible non-European travelers this month (January 2025), and will extend to six million citizens from Australia, Canada, and the US.

Projections by Henley & Partners and New World Wealth indicate an even greater surge in millionaire migration worldwide, with 142,000 high-net-worth individuals with liquid investable wealth of $1 million or more expected to relocate and seek new horizons, according to the press statement.