Hong Kong ranks 15th among the world’s most powerful passports for 2026, gaining access to 171 visa free and visa-on-arrival destinations and marking a clear climb in the latest Henley Passport Index. This marks a clear improvement from recent years, when the city ranked between 18th and 19th from 2019 to 2025.
The Henley Passport Index is widely regarded as the global benchmark for passport strength. It ranks passports based on the number of destinations that can be entered without a prior visa.
The Most Powerful Passports for 2026 :
| Rank | Countries | Visa-Free Access |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 192 |
| 2 | Japan, South Korea | 188 |
| 3 | Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland | 186 |
| 4 | Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, 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 |
| 11 | Bulgaria, Romania | 178 |
| 12 | Monaco | 177 |
| 13 | Chile | 175 |
| 14 | Cyprus | 174 |
| 15 | Andorra, Hong Kong (SAR China) | 171 |
| 16 | Argentina, Brazil | 169 |
| 17 | San Marino | 168 |
| 18 | Israel | 165 |
| 19 | Barbados, Brunei | 162 |
| 20 | Bahamas | 158 |
The index uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association, the world’s largest travel information database. Covering 199 passports and 227 destinations, and updated monthly, it provides a long-term view of global mobility trends.
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