Swiss passport now third most powerful in the world

The Swiss passport has climbed two spots in this year’s Henley Passport Index and now ranks as the third-strongest passport in the world.

The Henley Passport Index 2026

The Henley Passport Index is compiled annually by law firm Henley & Partners and is the “original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa,” according to the Henley & Partners website.

The global passport ranking is based on data from 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. The index awards different passports one point for every country their holders can access without needing to apply for a visa, and any place where entry is possible with a visa on arrival, an easily accessible visitors permit or an electronic travel authority (ETA). 

For each country where a pre-arranged visa or pre-departure government approval is needed, no points are awarded.

In 2026, the Singaporean passport was once again named the most powerful in the world for visa-free travel. In joint second place are Japanese and South Korean passports. Singaporeans can travel to 192 countries without needing a visa, while Japanese and South Koreans can visit 188 countries visa-free.

Swiss passport third most powerful in the world

This year, the Swiss passport climbed two spots from fifth place to now ranking joint third with Denmark, Spain, Luxemburg and Sweden. This is the highest spot the red Swiss passport has held in the ranking.

Swiss citizens can take a holiday or travel for work visa-free to 186 countries out of a total of 227. However, 2026 marks the year when Swiss passport holders will now need to apply for visas before visiting Burkina Faso, Iraq, Mauritania, Myanmar, Pakistan and Somalia. This takes the total number of countries where Swiss citizens need a visa to enter from 36 to 40.

However, some of the 186 countries need an ETA, including the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Israel. Check the relevant government website before travelling.

Strongest passports in 2026 according to Henley Passport Index

According to the 2026 Henley Passport Index, these are the countries with the world’s most powerful passports:

1. Singapore (192)
2. Japan, South Korea (190)
3. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland (186)
4. Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway (185)
5. Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates (184)
6. Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand, Poland (183)
7. Australia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom (182)
8. Canada, Iceland, Lithuania (181)
9. Malaysia (180)
10. United States (179)

For more information and to see the full ranking, take a look at the Henley Passport Index.