Canada ranks in world's Top 10 powerful passports in the world. Here's why

Canada's passport in top 10

Photo: wikimedia commons

Canadian passports

Canadians hold one of the most powerful passports in the world, according to a recent study. 

But what exactly does that mean in the context of a citizenship document?

Each quarter, the Henley Passport Index ranks passports on the number of countries their holders can enter without needing to apply for visas in advance.

The renowned London-based consultancy, which assists governments by developing citizenship-by-investment programs, bases the ranking on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association and additional in-house research.

This year, Canada ranks eighth on the list, tied with Iceland and Lithuania. These passports grant visa-free access to 181 countries worldwide.

Canada generally appears in the Top 10, although it's lost some of its international prowess in recent years, slipping from its seventh spot in July 2023. It also ranked eighth in the January 2023 report and in previous years.

There are a total of 39 nations in the Top 10, tied for positions based on easy travel access.

Singaporeans have the world's most powerful passport at the start of 2026, a position the country has held since Henley released its July 2023 report ranking. The country's document grants visa-free access to a whopping 192 countries worldwide. 

Before July 2023, Japan ranked at the top of the global list for five years. Now, the Empire of the Sun shares second place with South Korea, with each document granting its people visa-free access to 188 countries worldwide. 

Third place is a five-way split between Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, with passport holders of these countries granted visa-free access to 186 countries globally.

At first glance, fourth place is a bit of a free-for-all, with passports from 10 countries offering visa-free access to 185 countries: Austria, Finland, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway.

Fifth place is another five-way split, with passport-holders from Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates granted easy access to 184 countries globally. 

Where does the U.S. rank on the global list?

Afghanistan ranks at the bottom of the list, granting access for its citizens to only 24 destinations without a prior visa.

"The resulting 168-destination gap (between first and last place) starkly illustrates the scale of global mobility inequality in 2026 — a dramatic widening of the divide since 2006, when the difference between the then top-ranking U.S. passport and Afghanistan was only 118 destinations," the report's authors say.

The global power imbalance is expected to intensify as travel increases. IATA expects airlines to carry over 5.2 billion passengers this year.

Canada, and much of the world, was struck with increased U.S. tariffs in 2025. But our neighbours to the south just managed to inch back into the Top 10, after falling further down the list last year. 

The U.S. has fallen sharply over the past decade overall as a leader in global mobility. It co-held first place with the U.K. in 2014 and has been in decline ever since.

The most powerful passports in the world in 2026

1. Singapore (192)


2. Japan, South Korea (188)


3. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland (186)


4. Austria, Finland, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway (185)


5. Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates (184)


6. Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand, Poland (183)


7. Australia, Poland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom (182)


8. Canada, Iceland, Lithuania (181)


9. Malaysia (180)


10. United States (179)