“Even stronger”: Kazakhstan passport climbs global ranking
Tengrinews.kz – The Kazakh passport has improved its position in the latest Henley & Partners Passport Index for 2026. The ranking covers 199 passports worldwide and is compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Where Kazakhstan ranks
According to the index, holders of a Kazakh passport can travel visa-free to 78 countries. In the 2026 ranking, Kazakhstan placed 61st, between Bolivia and Suriname.
Notably, Kazakhstan’s position shifted several times last year: it ranked 63rd in July 2025 and dropped to 67th by October. The longer-term trend, however, shows steady improvement. Kazakhstan ranked 70th in 2023, 66th in 2024 and 65th in 2025.
Among neighboring countries, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan share 75th place with visa-free access to 61 destinations. Tajikistan ranked 81st (54 countries), while Turkmenistan placed 87th, with access to 47 countries. Russia ranked 46th (113 countries), Belarus 60th, and Azerbaijan 67th (70 countries).
Strongest and weakest passports
The top spot in the 2026 ranking went to Singapore, whose passport allows visa-free travel to 192 countries. It was followed by Japan and South Korea, with access to 188 destinations each. Other countries in the top tier include Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece and Ireland.
At the bottom of the ranking is Afghanistan, whose passport provides visa-free access to just 24 countries. Other passports in the lowest tier include Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Palestine and North Korea.
How the ranking works
The Henley Passport Index measures global mobility by assessing how many destinations passport holders can enter without a prior visa. In the 2026 edition, the index evaluates 199 passports across 227 destinations worldwide.
The scoring system is simple:
1 point is awarded for visa-free entry;
1 point is also given if a visa is issued on arrival or through an electronic travel authorization (ETA) that does not require prior approval;
0 points are given if a visa must be obtained in advance or government approval is required before travel.