Canada ranks eighth on the 2026 world’s strongest passports. Why the list doesn’t tell the full story

A Canadian passport sits on a suitcase in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

Canada’s passport remains among the most powerful in the world, ranking eighth globally in 2026, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.

While it falls just outside the top tier, which is dominated by Asian and European countries, Canada’s standing places it ahead of the U.S. The Canadian passport, ranked alongside Iceland and Lithuania, offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 181 countries.

The Henley Passport Index, complied by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, uses data from the International Air Transport Association, which tracks visa-free access to 227 countries and territories. The rankings are widely used as a measure of global mobility, diplomatic reach and international credibility.

Basil Mohr-Elzeki, managing partner at Henley & Partners, told CTVNews.ca in a Zoom interview that the passport rankings are based on a straightforward measure of visa access and are designed to capture travel freedom, rather than broader rights, such as residency or employment.

“It’s a quite a simple calculation,” Mohr-Elzeki said. “The Canadian passport allows Canadians to travel to 181 countries without a visa, meaning you don’t need to apply for paperwork in advance. It’s a numerical calculation based on visa-free travel.”

The index also distinguishes between visa-free access and visas on arrival - a difference that Mohr-Elzeki described as procedural rather than substantive.

“Visa-free is when you go through customs and enter the country without applying for anything,” he said. “Visa on arrival adds an extra step, where you apply when you land.”

Randall Hansen, Canada research chair in global migration at University of Toronto, told CTVNews.ca in an interview that passport rankings should be read carefully, noting they reflect visa policies imposed by wealthy countries, rather than the full range of mobility rights.

“What this really measures is the number of visa requirements a particular passport faces,” Hansen said. “So the sorting will always be rich countries with good passports and poor countries with bad passports, because visa requirements are set by wealthy countries.”

Hansen stressed that the index does not account for the right to live and work abroad, which he argues is a more meaningful measure of mobility.

He argues that European Union (EU) passports offer greater practical freedom.

“A German or Spanish passport should arguably be number one or two, because they give you the right to work in 27 countries - which the UAE passport does not,” he said.

“Where you can live depends on treaties, such as the EU. That’s an entirely different calculation,” Mohr-Elzeki pointed out.

Passport power

While Canadians often believe they hold one of the strongest passports, Hansen said the reality is more nuanced. He explained that Canada’s relatively higher visa requirements for some countries partly explain why it trails certain peers.

Canada’s position has remained consistently strong over the history of the Henley Passport Index, even as it has slipped slightly from its peak.

The Canadian passport ranked as high as second in the world in 2014, reflecting broad visa-free access and strong diplomatic standing at the time. Since then, Canada has remained firmly within the top 10, though increased competition from European and Asian countries and shifting global visa policies have pushed it lower in the rankings.

“It has to do with risk appetite and less proactivity with bilateral agreements,” Mohr-Elzeki said when asked about the drop over the last decade.

Mohr-Elzeki said Canada’s eighth-place ranking still reflects a strong passport, even if it no longer sits near the top. He also acknowledged that Canada has become less competitive compared with countries that aggressively pursue bilateral agreements.

“Canada allows only 54 countries visa-free entry, whereas other countries allow more - and that reciprocity matters,” he said.

“Traditionally, Canada had some of the highest visa costs in the world, and we impose them on others,” Hansen said, calling the system regressive. “If you’re a Bay Street lawyer paying C$80 for a visa, it doesn’t worry you. If you’re a young student, the increment is punitive.”

Looking ahead, Hansen said Canada could improve its ranking if it chose to adjust its policies. “Canada could do it tomorrow,” he said. “By instituting fewer visa requirements and expanding ‘safe country of origin’ destinations.

Canadians have a “good passport, not the best,” Hansen added.

Where the rest of the world stands

Asian passports once again were at the top of the list. Singapore holds the No. 1 spot, with visa-free access to 192 destinations, followed by Japan and South Korea tied at No. 2 with access to 188 countries and territories.

Europe dominates much of the upper rankings. Five countries - Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - share third place with access to 186 destinations. Ten more European nations occupy the No. 4 position, each with visa-free access to 185 countries, including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

Fifth place is shared by Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates, each with access to 184 countries. The UAE stands out as the strongest long-term performer in the index’s 20-year history, climbing 57 places since 2006 after adding 149 visa-free destinations - a rise the report attributes to sustained diplomatic engagement and visa liberalization.

Canada’s eighth-place ranking comes as several traditional mobility countries experience declines. The U.K., now tied for seventh place with 182 destinations, has seen the steepest year-over-year drop, losing visa-free access to eight countries in the past year.

The U.S. ranks 10th with access to 179 destinations, despite returning to the top 10 after briefly dropping out in late 2025. Thirty-seven countries now outrank the U.S. and it has lost access to seven destinations over the past year.

At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan remains last, with visa-free access to just 24 destinations, followed by Syria and Iraq. The gap between the top and bottom ranked passports now stands at 168 countries.

“There are certainly mid-tier countries that will go up in the ranks,” Mohr-Elzeki said. “Many countries are waking up to the idea that increasing passport power enables their people to travel and do business internationally.”