The recently released 2025 Henley Passport Index has laid bare the stark inequalities in global travel freedom, revealing which nationalities face the most significant barriers to international mobility. The comprehensive ranking system measures how many destinations passport holders can access without prior visa requirements.
The Global Mobility Divide Exposed
According to the latest data, more than two dozen countries find themselves at the bottom of the global ranking with visa-free scores below 50 destinations. This means citizens from these nations can travel to fewer than 50 countries without obtaining a visa beforehand or can only access them with visa-on-arrival privileges.
Afghanistan sits at the very bottom of the list with a meager score of 24 visa-free destinations, followed closely by Syria at 26 and Iraq at 29. Other nations struggling with limited global mobility include Yemen (31), Somalia (33), and North Korea (38).
Complete List of Lowest-Ranking Passports
The 2025 index provides a clear picture of which countries offer the most restricted travel access to their citizens:
Angola, Cameroon, Congo (Rep.), and Turkmenistan all share a score of 48 destinations, while Djibouti follows with 47. Laos (46), Myanmar (45), and Ethiopia (44) also feature among the passports with limited global access.
The middle tier of this bottom group includes Lebanon and Nigeria (both 44), Democratic Republic of Congo (43), South Sudan (43), and Iran (41). Sri Lanka and Sudan both stand at 41 destinations, while Eritrea, Libya, and Palestinian Territory share a score of 39.
What Limited Visa-Free Access Means for Citizens
A passport scoring under 50 on the Henley Index signifies substantial travel restrictions that impact various aspects of citizens' lives. International travel becomes a complex, expensive, and uncertain process requiring advance visa applications for most destinations.
The data highlights a dramatic global disparity in mobility rights. While passport holders from top-ranked countries enjoy access to over 180 destinations visa-free, those with the weakest passports possess only a fraction of that freedom.
Many of the lowest-ranking passports belong to countries experiencing conflict, political fragility, or limited diplomatic engagement. Nations like Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and South Sudan face not only travel restrictions but also broader international isolation that affects their citizens' global opportunities.
Passport strength serves as a powerful indicator of global connectivity and opportunity. For individuals from countries with low scores, pursuing international education, employment, tourism, or business ventures involves navigating complex visa regimes that can shape migration patterns and economic prospects.
The Henley Passport Index methodology counts all destinations for which passport holders don't require prior visas, including visa-on-arrival arrangements and electronic travel authorizations. This comprehensive approach provides a realistic picture of actual travel freedom enjoyed by citizens of different nations.
