A new global study has revealed the world's most powerful passports for 2026, and the United Kingdom continues its post-Brexit slide down the rankings. The Henley Passport Index, published on 15 January 2026, places the British passport in a joint seventh position, a stark contrast to its former dominance at the top of the table.
Singapore Reigns Supreme as Asian Nations Dominate
Singapore retains the title of the world's most powerful passport for the third consecutive year. Citizens of the city-state can access an impressive 192 destinations without needing a prior visa. Singapore has consistently held first or second place since 2018, only briefly dropping to runner-up in 2020 and 2023.
In a joint second place are Japan and South Korea, whose passports grant visa-free entry to 188 countries. They are closely followed by a European bloc in third: Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland all offer access to 186 destinations.
The 2026 index also marks a historic first with a ten-way tie for fourth place. The passports of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway all unlock 185 visa-free destinations.
The UK's Steady Decline in Passport Power
The British passport now sits in seventh place, sharing the spot with Australia, Latvia, and Liechtenstein. It provides visa-free access to 182 destinations. This represents a significant fall from grace for a document that was ranked the world's most powerful as recently as 2015.
The UK held the top spot in 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The implications of the 2016 Brexit vote began to show in the rankings from 2017, when the UK fell to 4th. The decline has been steady: 5th in 2018, 6th in 2019, and 7th in both 2020 and 2021—a position it has not recovered from by 2026.
This comes amid ongoing changes for UK travellers in Europe. In October 2025, the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) was fully implemented, requiring British passengers to submit biometric data including fingerprints and facial scans at Schengen Zone borders.
A Widening Gulf in Global Mobility
The study highlights a dramatic and growing inequality in global travel freedom. At the bottom of the 2026 index is Afghanistan, whose citizens can visit just 24 destinations visa-free. The gap between the top and bottom rankings has widened to 168 destinations, up from 118 in 2006.
Dr Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the index, stated: 'Over the past 20 years, global mobility has expanded significantly, but the benefits have been distributed unevenly. Today, passport privilege plays a decisive role in shaping opportunity, security, and economic participation.'
Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), noted that while more people have the economic freedom to travel, 'many nationalities are seeing that a passport alone is no longer sufficient to cross borders.' He emphasised the growing role of digital IDs and biometrics in facilitating secure travel.
The Henley Passport Index is based on exclusive data from IATA, ranking passports by the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
