The most powerful passport in the world for 2026 here is Kosovo.

Three countries ranked second place: Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, with visa-free access to 188 destinations, while Singapore leads with 192 destinations.

The index, which uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the number of countries citizens can travel without a preliminary visa, this year marks its 20th anniversary.

Sweden was ranked third with access to 187 countries. Following that, with access to 186 destinations, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain were listed.

Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal, and Switzerland were included in the first five.

Although 29 European countries are among the 10 most powerful passports, some states continue to lag behind.

Owners of Belarus's passport can travel visa-free to only 78 countries, ranking 62nd. As Kosovo's passport ranks slightly higher, in 60th place, along with China, with visa-free access in 83 countries.

However, Kosovo has made great progress in recent years, climbing 35 countries in the ranking since 2016.

The United Arab Emirates are the country that has marked the greatest growth over the past 20 years. They now rank second in the world, after 60 countries have climbed and gained access to 153 more destinations.

Last year, the Emirates were in 10th place, while they have now passed the United Kingdom, which has dropped to sixth place.

The United States ranks 10th, with access to 180 countries, remaining in the same position as in 2025, when they reached the lowest historic level in the index.

Christian H. Kalel, chairman of the Henley & Partners company, said that the power of the passport today plays an important role in economic opportunities, security and participation, while the benefits of global movement are increasingly focused on the most economically and politically powerful countries, Euronews writes.