Singapore in the October ranking Henley Passport Index 2026 Singapore remains in first place: its passport opens access to 193 destinations without a prior visa. In July, Singapore had 192 destinations, so its leadership is not merely holding but strengthening. Behind this figure lies not only the document itself but also the diplomatic network of the small city-state, which allows its residents to travel almost without formalities while many other passports lose ground due to shifts in visa policy.
Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates share second place: each of these countries gives its citizens access to 188 destinations. Sweden comes third, with 187 destinations. Fourth place is shared by eleven European states at once — Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain — each with 186 destinations. Such a density of European passports at the top of the table shows that their strength rests on a network of mutual visa-free agreements and on the stability of relations between states.
India has moved up one line and now occupies 84th place together with Algeria and Mauritania. However, it is too early to celebrate: the number of destinations to which an Indian citizen can enter without a visa has fallen from 57 in October 2025 to 55. Part of this decline is explained by decisions of other states: Iran in November 2025 ended visa-free entry for Indians, and Bolivia moved from a visa on arrival to an electronic visa that must be obtained in advance. A higher position with fewer destinations looks paradoxical, but the logic is simple: the index ranks passports relative to one another, and a country can rise in the table if competitors lose access faster. In February, after Gambia returned to the list, the figure temporarily reached 56, but by October it was back at 55.
An important caveat: the index does not count visa-free entry alone. It also includes visa on arrival and certain electronic entry permits. Therefore the figure 55 does not mean that in all these countries one can simply step off the plane without preparation.
The United Kingdom occupies sixth place with 184 destinations. Along with it in this position are Hungary, Malaysia and Poland, while at the start of 2026 the British passport stood seventh. The United States shares tenth place with Iceland, each country having 180 destinations. For the American passport this is a notable fall: in 2006, when the index first appeared, the United States shared first place and had about 130 destinations. Today its access has become broader, but other countries expanded visa-free agreements even faster, and this pushed the United States down. According to the index's calculations, around thirty-odd passports now formally stand above the American one.
The ranking is closed by Afghanistan, whose passport opens access to just 22 destinations. The gap between the leader and the outsider is enormous and shows how unevenly mobility is distributed in the world.
The Henley Index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 destinations. It is a reminder that freedom of movement is not a permanent privilege but the result of diplomatic work that can change quickly. Before travelling, one should check the current entry rules: as the changes for Iran and Bolivia show, within a few months conditions can become entirely different.
