Opinion | The Tale of a Passport That Has Failed to Improve

Pakistan has remained among the weakest passports for several consecutive years.The problem becomes even more striking when Pakistan’s position is viewed over a longer period.

A passport is more than a travel document. It is, in many ways, a reflection of how the outside world perceives a country’s stability, institutions, economy, security environment and diplomatic relationships. For Pakistan, this reflection remains uncomfortable. Despite periods of diplomatic engagement, economic reforms and the introduction of modern e-passports, the Pakistani passport continues to remain among the weakest in the world.The latest rankings underline the problem. The 2026 Henley Passport Index places Pakistan near the bottom of the global table, with access to only around 31 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance. Pakistan has remained among the weakest passports for several consecutive years.The problem becomes even more striking when Pakistan’s position is viewed over a longer period. According to reporting based on the Henley index, Pakistan was ranked 79th in 2006. By 2026, it had fallen to around 101st in the index. In the same period, the average global passport became dramatically stronger: the average passport now provides visa-free access to 108 destinations, compared with only 58 when the index began in 2006.

This means Pakistan’s problem is not simply that its passport has failed to become stronger. It is also that other countries have moved ahead much faster.One of the most important factors behind passport strength is diplomatic confidence. Visa-free access is rarely granted simply because two countries maintain diplomatic relations. Governments assess a range of factors, including immigration patterns, security concerns, document integrity, illegal migration, overstaying and the likelihood that visitors will return to their home country. A country whose citizens are perceived as having a higher risk of overstaying or seeking irregular migration generally faces greater visa restrictions.Pakistan has struggled with precisely these perceptions. Reports over recent years have highlighted concerns in several Western and Gulf countries about overstaying, irregular migration, fraudulent documentation and misuse of visit visas. Such perceptions can affect ordinary Pakistani travellers even when they have no connection whatsoever with illegal migration. The result is a collective penalty imposed through increasingly difficult visa procedures.Security is another major factor. Pakistan has made considerable progress against terrorism compared with the worst years of the insurgency, but its international image continues to carry the legacy of decades of political violence and militant activity. Passport rankings do not directly assign points for terrorism or political stability, but these issues influence the decisions that governments make about visa access and border controls.Economic conditions matter as well. A strong passport generally belongs to a country whose citizens are considered economically secure enough to travel, spend and return without creating significant immigration risks. Pakistan’s recurring economic crises, high inflation, currency pressures and dependence on external financial assistance have weakened perceptions of economic stability. The introduction of e-passports and improvements in documentation can make passports technically more secure, but technology alone cannot create international mobility.

There is also a diplomatic dimension that Pakistan cannot afford to overlook. Passport strength is partly a product of sustained diplomacy. Countries that have successfully improved their passport rankings have often combined economic growth with aggressive diplomatic engagement and reciprocal visa agreements. The United Arab Emirates is perhaps the clearest example. Over the past two decades, the UAE has added a remarkable number of visa-free destinations and risen sharply in global passport rankings, demonstrating how sustained diplomatic engagement, economic development and visa liberalisation can transform international mobility. Pakistan, by comparison, has not converted its geopolitical importance into equivalent mobility for its citizens. It remains strategically important because of its geography and wider Muslim-world affairs. But geopolitical importance does not automatically translate into visa-free travel. Countries may value Pakistan strategically while still maintaining strict immigration controls for Pakistani nationals.This distinction is important. Pakistan often measures its international influence through military strength, diplomatic alliances or its role in regional politics. But the ordinary citizen experiences international standing differently. For him or her, the real measure may simply be how easily a passport opens the world’s borders.

There is another uncomfortable reality. Passport rankings are not an absolute measure of a country’s worth. A weak passport does not mean that its citizens are less capable, educated or deserving than citizens of countries with stronger passports. Millions of Pakistanis live, work and study successfully around the world. The weakness lies primarily in the international mobility attached to the nationality, not in the individual.Therefore, improving the Pakistani passport requires more than redesigning the document or introducing biometric technology. Pakistan needs to improve the factors that influence international confidence: political stability, economic predictability, reliable documentation, effective border management, stronger action against fraudulent travel practices and sustained diplomatic negotiations for reciprocal visa liberalisation.Most importantly, Islamabad needs to understand that passport strength is ultimately a confidence index. Countries open their borders more readily when they trust the institutions, economy and citizens of another country.Pakistan’s passport has not become weak overnight, and it will not become powerful overnight. But the experience of countries such as the UAE demonstrates that dramatic improvement is possible when diplomacy, economic policy, security and international engagement move in the same direction.The question, therefore, is not merely why Pakistan’s passport remains near the bottom. The more important question is whether Pakistan is prepared to address the conditions that keep it there. Until it does, the Pakistani passport will remain a symbol of a much larger problem: a country with considerable geopolitical importance, but still struggling to convert that importance into global mobility for its people.

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