The latest Henley Passport Index report 2026 shows that Asia continues to dominate the most powerful passport group in the world. Singapore holds the No. 1 global position, while Japan and South Korea share the 2nd position.
Singaporean citizens are currently visa-free in 192 out of 227 countries and territories being monitored. Japan and South Korea rank right after with 188 visa-free destinations. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), published by the global citizenship and residence consulting firm Henley & Partners (London).
In the 2026 rankings, Vietnamese passports ranked 86th, with 49 visa-free destinations, up from 90th in the fourth quarter of 2025 and up 1 place compared to 2024. For the whole year of 2025, Vietnamese passports once ranked 91st, so the latest result is assessed as the highest ranking of Vietnam in the past 5 years, since 2020.
Currently, Vietnamese citizens can enter 49 destinations in the form of visa exemption, visa on arrival or electronic travel permit (ETA) out of a total of 199 ranked countries and territories.
In the region, Vietnam's passport ranking is still lower than some ASEAN countries such as Brunei (ranked 19th), Thailand (ranked 60th), Indonesia (ranked 64th), Philippines (ranked 73rd). However, the upward trend shows that Vietnam's passport position is gradually improving.
In the 20-year history of the Henley Passport Index, the highest ranking Vietnamese passports have ever achieved is 78 (in 2006 and 2007).
In 2026, the US returned to the top 10 most powerful passports in the world, ranking 10th with 179 visa-free destinations. However, because many countries share the ranking, in fact there are 37 countries ranked higher than the US.
In the opposite direction, Afghanistan continues to be at the bottom of the rankings, at 101st place, with only 24 visa-free destinations. Syria and Iraq ranked 100th and 99th respectively.
Top 10 most powerful passports in the world in 2026
Singapore - 192 destinations
Japan, South Korea - 188
Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden - 186
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway - 185
Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, UAE - 184
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand, Poland - 183
Australia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, England - 182
Canada, Iceland, Lithuania - 181
Malaysia - 180
USA - 179
Henley Passport Index currently ranks 199 passports and 227 destinations globally, updated monthly. With more than 20 years of historical data, this ranking is considered an important reference tool to assess the strength of passports, level of integration and international mobility of each country.
IATA forecasts that airlines will transport more than 5.2 billion passengers worldwide this year, showing that international travel demand continues to increase sharply.
According to IATA General Director Willie Walsh, the highest number of people entering and leaving the country to date shows the increasingly important role of passports in the context of globalization.
According to Henley Passport Index 2026, Vietnamese citizens can currently enter 49 destinations around the world in the form of visa exemption, border gate visa or electronic visa (eTA).
26. Cape Verde Islands 27. Comoros Islands 28. Djibouti 29. Guinea-Bissau 30. Jordan 31. Madagascar 32. Malawi 33. Maldives 34. Marshall Islands 35. Mauritius 36. Mozambique 37. Namibia 38. Nepal 39. Niue 40. Palau Islands 41. Samoa 42. Sierra Leone 43. Tajikistan 44. Tanzania 45. Tuvalu 46. Timor-Leste 47. Kenya 48. Seychelles 49. Sri Lanka |
