Bangladesh slips 3 notches to rank 100th, shares spot with North Korea in global passport ranking

Bangladesh fell by 3 notches in the UK-based Henley & Partners’ Global Passport Ranking for 2025, sharing the 100th spot with North Korea.

Bangladesh ranked 97th in 2024, 101st in 2023, 103rd in 2022 and 108th in 2021.

According to the latest ranking, a Bangladeshi passport entitles visa-free travel to 38 countries and the number was 39 in 2024.

Singapore ranked at the top of the index for the second straight year with its citizens able to travel to as many as 193 visa-free destinations.

Another Asian country Afghanistan came at the bottom with passport holders having visa-free access to as few as 24 countries.

“With historical data spanning 20 years, the Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations,” Henley & Partners’ said on its website.

Updated monthly, the Henley Passport Index is considered the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum.

Bangladesh, however, is ahead of two South Asian nations—Nepal ranking 101st place with 36 visa-free destinations and Pakistan which ranked 103rd with 31 visa-free destinations.

Neighbouring India came at 85th position its citizens enjoying visa-free access to 57 countries or territories.