Ranking of Least Powerful Passports Globally in 2025
Passports with the Least Global Appeal: 2025
Diving into the world of travel documents, we find that a passport's worth often reflects a nation's diplomatic clout, political stability, and international prestige. While some passports grant visa-free access to nearly 200 destinations, others remain shackled, making international ventures for employment, education, tourism, or humanitarian purposes a daunting task. Notably, the following passports have the least global mobility and impose significant travel hurdles upon their holders.
Countries with Travel's Titanic Struggle
1. Afghanistan
In 2025, Afghanistan's passport still grapples with severe global restrictions, placing it as the least helpful travel document worldwide. According to global passport indices, Afghan passport holders can only visit a minuscule number of countries visa-free or with visa-on-arrival. The country's complex political landscape, turbulent security conditions, and limited international recognition contribute to these restrictions.
2. Syria
Despite its continual ranking among the weakest travel documents, the Syrian passport persists as one of the most confined global travel documents in 2025. Severe challenges remain, including prolonged civil conflict, international isolation, and dire humanitarian crises that make free global travel a distant dream for Syrian citizens.
3. Iraq
The Iraqi passport continues to face significant global travel limitations in 2025, consistently ranking among the least useful travel documents. Fewer than 33 countries grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to Iraqi travelers, according to the Henley Passport Index 2025, placing Iraq's passport in a 103rd position worldwide. This reality mirrors persistent challenges the nation faces, such as political instability, security issues, and an uncertain economy.
4. Pakistan
In 2025, Pakistan's passport still encountars steep global travel obstacles, as it consistently ranks among the least reliable travel documents. Pakistani passport holders can only visit around 33 countries without a visa or visa-on-arrival, according to the Henley Passport Index 2025. This places Pakistan in a joint 103rd position globally, alongside Iraq and Yemen, and just above Syria and Afghanistan.
5. Yemen
The Yemeni passport continues to struggle in the international travel arena in 2025, ranking among the least reliable travel documents. According to the Henley Passport Index 2025, the Yemeni passport affords its holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only about 33 destinations, placing Yemen in the 103rd position worldwide, tied with Iraq and Pakistan, and just above Syria and Afghanistan. The devastating conflict, dire humanitarian crisis, and profound political fragmentation that have plagued the nation for years have contributed to these difficulties.
6. Somalia
Even in 2025, the Somali passport still struggles globally, representing ongoing challenges that the country faces. While there are reports of some progress, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 35-40 destinations, it remains within the lower tier of global mobility indices. The profound impact of decades of conflict, political instability, and severe humanitarian and economic challenges remains evident in the limited international access available.
7. Nepal
In 2025, Nepal's passport continues to encounter considerable international travel restrictions. While it doesn't consistently rank among those with the absolute weakest passports (such as Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, or Pakistan), it remains within the lower tiers of global mobility indices. The Henley Passport Index 2025 indicates that the Nepalese passport is the 101st most popular passport globally, allowing travelers to enter about 39 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival. Despite slight improvements over previous years, it still poses significant travel challenges for its citizens.
8. Bangladesh
The Bangladeshi passport continues to confront global travel restrictions in 2025, often ranking among the least reliable travel documents. Despite some improvement, it remains within the lower echelons of global mobility indices, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 40 countries, tied with Libya and the Palestinian Territory, according to the Henley Passport Index 2025. Persistent political upheavals, economic difficulties, and lingering international perceptions continue to complicate Bangladeshi citizens' ability to travel freely.
9. Libya
Libya's passport still faces significant international travel limitations in 2025, with consistent ranking among the weakest travel documents worldwide. Approximately 40 destinations offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to Libyan passport holders, according to the Henley Passport Index 2025, placing the Libyan passport in a position tied with Bangladesh and Palestinian Territory. Ongoing challenges, including political fragmentation, persistent insecurity, and an unstable economy, contribute to these travel hurdles.
10. North Korea
In 2025, the North Korean passport remains near the bottom of global mobility indices, as one of the most restricted travel documents available. Although it doesn't always occupy the last position (often held by Afghanistan), its limited access demonstrates the unique political landscape, self-imposed isolation, and travel restrictions of the DPRK. The Henley Passport Index 2025 ranks the North Korean passport 99th globally, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 41 destinations - a stark contrast to the travel freedoms offered by the rest of the world. For ordinary North Korean citizens, travel remains an unattainable luxury.
Firewall of Restrictions
A passport's travel ability can be hampered by various factors, including visa requirements and travel bans, passport validity, criminal records, political and diplomatic restrictions, health and vaccination requirements, and economic or financial restrictions. Understanding these limitations can shed light on the difficulties faced by those holding some of the world's least powerful passports.
In the context of international travel, the Afghan lifestyle is often hampered by severe global restrictions, making it challenging to explore new destinations given that holders of Afghan passports can only visit a limited number of countries visa-free or with visa-on-arrival. Similarly, Syrian citizens face a similar predicament, as their passport ranks among the most confined global travel documents due to prolonged civil conflict, international isolation, and dire humanitarian crises that complicate free global travel.
