Weakest passports severely restrict the travel freedom of many people due to visa restrictions imposed on them. For example the possibility to travel to United Kingdom, EU schengen area, Russia, China for business, tourism and visiting family and friends. These are also the worst passports in the world.

Usually the weakest passports come from Asia, Africa and Arab countries in the middle east. North America and Europe have strongest passports in the world.

The weakest passports create demand for second passports and citizenship by investment schemes wanting visa free travel freedom and mobility to travel around the world.  We classify passports into four categories

  • Weakest passport – Visa free travel freedom to less than 50 countries
  • Weak passport – Visa free travel freedom to less than 100 countries.
  • Strong passport – Visa free travel freedom to over 100 countries. This must include free movement to United Kingdom and Schengen Area.
  • Strongest passport – Visa free travel freedom to over 150 countries, must include free movement to UK, EU member states, Canada, United States, Russia etc.

These are the top 20 countries that have visa free movement to fewer than 50 countries.

Country  Rank Visa free
Afghanistan 1 25
Iraq 2 27
Syria 3 29
Somalia
Pakistan
4 31
Yemen 5 33
Sudan
Palestine
Libya
6 37
Nepal 7 38
North Korea
Lebanon
8 39
Iran
Eritrea
Bangladesh
9 40
Kosovo 10 41
South Sudan
Ethiopia
Congo (DR)
11 42
Sri Lanka 12 43
Nigeria
Myanmar
Dijbouti
13 46
Congo (Rep) 14 47
Liberia
Burundi
15 48
Egypt
Haiti
Jordan
Laos
Angola
Cameroon
16 49
Algeria 17 50
Vietnam
Central African Republic
Turkmenistan
18 51
Bhutan
Equatorial Guinea
19 52
Cambodia
Chad
Comoros
20 53

Observations

  • Afghan passport is the weakest passport in Asia.
  • Iraqi passport is the weakest passport in the Middle east.
  • Somali passport is the weakest passport in Africa

 

Source: Henley Passport Index 2019