Islamabad [Pakistan], July 24 (ANI): Pakistan’s journey doc stays categorized among the many ‘least highly effective’ globally, granting visa-free entry to merely 32 places, whereas the passports from different Asian nations have emerged because the strongest worldwide, as reported by Dawn.
According to the Henley Passport Index for 2025, Pakistan is presently ranked 96th on the listing, putting it forward of conflict-ridden international locations resembling Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Although nonetheless comparatively low, the nation’s rating has seen a slight enchancment; in 2024, the Pakistani passport was tied with Yemen because the fourth-worst globally for the fourth consecutive yr.
The Henley Passport Index assesses the visa-free privileges of 199 totally different passports throughout 227 journey locations and ranks them primarily based on the variety of locations their holders can go to with out acquiring a visa upfront.
A rating of 1 is given when no visa is important, together with cases the place a visa on arrival (VOA), a customer’s allow, or an digital journey authority (ETA) is out there. Conversely, a rating of 0 is assigned when a visa is required, or when a passport holder should safe a government-approved digital visa (e-Visa) previous to journey. This additionally applies to instances requiring pre-departure governmental clearance for a visa on arrival, as reported by Dawn.
Singapore holds the highest place, with Japan and South Korea tied for second place within the index. Seven EU passports share the third place: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. Another group of seven European nations ties for fourth place: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Meanwhile, New Zealand is tied for fifth place alongside Greece and Switzerland, in line with the Dawn report.
The UK and US every fell one place within the international passport rankings since January, reflecting an ongoing long-term decline. Once thought-about essentially the most highly effective passports worldwide, the UK, which was ranked first in 2015, and the US, ranked first in 2014, now sit at sixth and tenth respectively, as famous by the Dawn report.
India has made essentially the most vital leap in rating over the past six months, transferring up eight positions from eighty fifth to 77th. (ANI)