World passport ranking 2026

How the ranking works

What is counted. For each passport we count the other 196 countries it can enter without an embassy visit: visa-free entry, a visa on arrival, or an eTA (an electronic travel authorisation applied for online). An e-Visa does not count, because it is a visa, just a faster one. A passport's own country is left out, and so are the two territories (Hong Kong and Macao) that appear in the data but are not sovereign countries.

Ties. Passports with the same count share a rank, so the ranks skip a number after a tie.

Data. Rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Other rankings, such as the Henley Passport Index, count a different set of destinations, treat some rules differently and update on other dates, so their lists will not match this one exactly. Visa rules also change often, so confirm with the official immigration site before you book.

The same method is behind our blog post How strong is your passport?. For one passport and one destination, use the visa checker.