By Staff Reporter
Dubai: Afghanistan continues to hold the world’s weakest passport, according to the February 2026 Henley Passport Index, highlighting the severe travel restrictions faced by its citizens.
Ranked 101st, Afghanistan sits at the bottom of the global mobility table, with its passport holders able to access just 24 destinations without securing a visa in advance.
The ranking reflects the country’s limited diplomatic reach, ongoing security challenges, and strict entry requirements imposed by many nations.
Despite the low ranking, Afghan nationals can still enter a small group of countries through visa-free travel, visa on arrival, or simplified electronic travel authorisation (ETA) systems. Under Henley’s methodology, all three categories are counted as destinations that do not require prior visa approval.
About Afghanistan
Political system: Islamic Emirate (not widely recognised internationally)
Current rulers: Taliban administration (since August 2021)
Capital: Kabul
International recognition: No formal UN recognition of the ruling government
Diplomatic relations: Severely limited compared with most nations
Key challenges: Sanctions, travel restrictions, and financial isolation
Afghanistan’s weak passport ranking is closely tied to its restricted diplomatic engagement, governance disputes, and persistent security and economic pressures.
For many Afghans, limited mobility has consequences beyond tourism. International travel often determines access to education, medical treatment, family reunification and trade — opportunities that remain sharply constrained for holders of the Afghan passport.
Countries accessible without a prior visa
Visa-free destinations (4):
• Cook Islands
• Dominica
• Haiti
• Micronesia
Visa-on-arrival destinations (17):
• Bangladesh
• Madagascar
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cape Verde
• Comoros
• Guinea-Bissau
• Macao
• Maldives
• Mozambique
• Palau
• Rwanda
• Samoa
• Timor-Leste
• Tuvalu
• Djibouti
• Niue
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) destinations (3):
• Sri Lanka
• Kenya
• Seychelles
Bangladesh is among the more notable destinations, offering visa-on-arrival access to Afghan passport holders.
The Henley Passport Index, based on International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, measures how many destinations passport holders can enter without obtaining a visa beforehand. Afghanistan’s score of 24 makes it the only country whose passport grants access to fewer than 25 destinations.
By comparison, leading passports such as those of Singapore and Japan, along with several European nations, provide access to more than 190 destinations worldwide.
While the Afghan passport offers extremely limited global mobility, the small number of accessible countries remains vital for essential travel, providing rare avenues for movement in an environment where international barriers remain exceptionally high.
