- The UAE added 149 visa-free destinations over 20 years and now sits 5th on the Henley Passport Index, making it the index’s biggest climber
- Gulf nations including Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain gained fresh access to China after a regional visa exemption deal took effect
- Pakistan and Kosovo are among the unlikely risers, each posting meaningful climbs despite starting from historically weak positions
A fresh review of the Henley Passport Index and the Arton Capital Passport Index points to nine countries whose passports have recorded genuine, documented gains in 2025 and 2026, driven by diplomatic deals, regional trade agreements, and coordinated national reform programmes.
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Source: Getty Images
UAE leads the field after two decades of gains
No passport has moved further in the modern era than that of the United Arab Emirates. The country has added 149 visa-free destinations since 2006 and climbed 57 places to reach 5th on the Henley Passport Index, now covering 188 destinations in total. Analysts have described the rise as one of the clearest examples of deliberate policy reshaping passport value over time, rather than economic size alone doing the work.
Hong Kong posted the sharpest single-cycle movement among established passports, climbing 12 ranks to 31st, with mobility leading the improvement and gains across gender, investment, and freedom indicators supporting it.
Gulf nations benefit from China deal
Three Gulf states, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, made measurable progress, partly through a broad Chinese visa exemption that covered all Gulf Cooperation Council members. Oman rose to 55th on the May 2026 Henley ranking, up from 57th in January of the same year, with access to 84 destinations. A separate mutual visa exemption agreement between Oman and Russia, which took effect on July 18, 2025, added to that momentum. Saudi Arabia’s passport now covers roughly 87 to 88 visa-free destinations, a clear improvement from previous years. Bahrain’s gains were driven more by economic indicators, including the largest gross national income per capita increase of any 2026 riser, than by mobility alone.
The Philippines recorded one of the biggest numeric jumps among mid-table passports, with visa-free access rising from 64 to about 78 destinations. That total breaks down to 36 fully visa-free countries and around 40 to 42 more accessible via visa on arrival or electronic travel authorisation.
Modest but real progress for India and Pakistan
India reached 80th on the 2026 Henley index, tied with Algeria, giving its passport holders access to 55 destinations. That is up from 85th the previous year, a climb credited to sustained diplomatic outreach rather than any single deal. Separate mid-2026 tracking placed India around the mid-70s with 56 destinations, suggesting the upward trend has held.
Pakistan remains near the bottom of global rankings but has reversed a long slide. The February 2026 Henley index placed Pakistan 97th, up from 98th in January and 103rd the year before. Holders can now visit 32 countries visa-free, on arrival, or via eTA, after The Gambia was reinstated as an accessible destination.
Kosovo’s climb, 35 places since 2016, has been described by analysts as the belated collection of a mobility dividend the country had already earned on technical grounds, with political obstacles only recently clearing enough for the gains to show up in the data.
Source: Legit.ng