Maldivian passport has retained its ranking as the strongest passport in South Asia and moved up one rank in Henley Passport Index.
Henley Passport Index is the original and authoritative ranking of global passports, determined by the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index relies on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the largest and most accurate travel information database, and is further supported by research from Henley & Partners' team.
The Maldives ranks 52nd on the Henley Passport Index 2026, making it South Asia’s strongest passport with visa-free access to 92 countries. The country was ranked 53rd last year.
The closest competitor to Maldives is India, coming in second for the strongest passport in South Asia, ranking 80th globally with visa-free access to 58 countries followed by Bhutan in third, ranking 85th globally, with visa-free access to 55 countries.
Afghanistan has the worst ranking in South Asia, and globally, at 101, with visa-free access to just 24 countries.
Singapore retains its ranking as the strongest passport in the world, with its citizens able to travel visa-free to 192 countries. Japan and South Korea share second place with visa-free access to 193 countries, while Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland jointly hold third, with visa-free access to 186 countries.