Each year, the Henley Passport Index ranks the world’s strongest and weakest passports. You might have read Singapore has the strongest passport. But have you wondered how the strength of a passport is measured? The answer is quite simple actually: the number of countries the passport enables you to travel visa-free. Singaporean passport allows 193, that’s almost all the countries in the world! And where does Bangladesh stand in this ranking? Let’s break it
What is the Henley Passport Index?
Since 2006, the Henley Passport Index has ranked passports based on the number of destinations their holders can visit without needing a visa or with visa-on-arrival access. The higher the number, the stronger the passport.
What Determines Passport strength?
A country’s Global Mobility Score determines its passport strength. This score reflects how many countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with a visa on arrival, making travel more convenient.
The world’s strongest passports
A strong passport allows travelers to visit a large number of countries without dealing with visa restrictions. For example, in 2025, the Singaporean passport was ranked as the strongest, with a Global Mobility Score of 193, meaning Singaporean citizens could travel to 193 countries without needing a visa. Other top-ranking passports belong to Japan, South Korea, and Denmark.
The world’s weakest passports
A weak passport has limited global access, often requiring travelers to obtain pre-approved visas, which can be costly and time-consuming.
In 2025, some of the weakest passports included:
• Afghanistan (Global Mobility Score: 25)
• Syria (Global Mobility Score: 27)
• Iraq (Global Mobility Score: 30)
Citizens of these countries face significant travel restrictions and must apply for visas for most destinations.
Where does Bangladesh stand?
Bangladesh currently ranks 93rd in the Henley Passport Index, with a Global Mobility Score of 39. This means Bangladeshi passport holders can travel to 39 countries visa-free or with visa-on-arrival access.
While Bangladesh’s passport strength has improved slightly over the years, it still falls behind its neighbour India which ranks 80th (Visa-Free Countries: 56)