Passports from the Western Balkans continued to improve their global standing in 2026, reflecting two decades of gradual visa liberalisation and closer alignment with European and international partners, even as the gap between the world’s strongest and weakest passports widened, according to the Henley Passport Index.
Albania emerged as the region’s strongest climber, rising 36 places since 2006 to rank 43rd globally, the index showed. Serbia gained 30 places to rank 34th, while North Macedonia advanced 27 places to 38th. Bosnia and Herzegovina climbed 29 places and now shares 42nd position with Georgia.
The improvements underline the impact of EU visa-free travel arrangements, regional cooperation and diplomatic engagement, Henley & Partners said.
“Countries across the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe have seen some of the most consistent long-term gains in global mobility,” the report noted, pointing to steady reforms and integration efforts over the past two decades.
Globally, Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport in 2026, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations. Japan and South Korea ranked joint second with access to 188 destinations, followed by a cluster of European Union states.
The United States returned to the top 10 after briefly dropping out in late 2025, but the report highlighted a longer-term decline for both the U.S. and the United Kingdom, which jointly held the top ranking in 2014. Over the past year, both countries recorded their steepest annual losses in visa-free access.
At the opposite end of the rankings, Afghanistan remained last, with visa-free access to just 24 destinations. The gap between the top-ranked and bottom-ranked passports has widened to 168 destinations, compared with 118 in 2006.
“Over the past 20 years, global mobility has expanded significantly, but the benefits have been distributed unevenly,” said Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners. “Passport privilege increasingly shapes opportunity, security and economic participation.”
The United Arab Emirates was cited as the strongest global performer over the past two decades, adding 149 visa-free destinations since 2006 and climbing to fifth place in 2026.
The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and tracks visa-free access to destinations worldwide.