Pakistan’s passport has achieved a significant milestone by securing the 100th position in the Henley Passport Index 2025, marking a notable improvement from its 113th ranking in 2021. This advancement reflects enhanced global mobility for Pakistani citizens, who now enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 32 countries. Director General of Immigration and Passports, Mustafa Jamal Qazi, attributed the achievement to reforms backed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the Interior Secretary. He emphasized that the introduction of e-passports—featuring NFC chips compliant with ICAO standards—has played a key role in boosting the international credibility of Pakistan’s travel document.
To further streamline international travel, the government plans to install e-gates at all major airports, allowing quicker processing for e-passport holders. Qazi also confirmed that the longstanding passport backlog has been cleared, and improved infrastructure at passport offices is enabling faster service. For overseas Pakistanis, the introduction of online passport services and the “Passport Fee Asaan” mobile app has simplified the application and payment process. A new passport application app is also in the pipeline to allow citizens to apply from home.
Despite the ranking improvement, the number of visa-free destinations slightly dropped from 34 in 2024 to 33 in 2025, pointing to ongoing challenges. Contributing factors to the passport’s earlier decline include the seizure of 12,000 Pakistani passports from Afghan nationals using fake identities in Saudi Arabia, the issuance of fake documents by Pakistani authorities, and politically linked passport cancellations. Nonetheless, Qazi expressed optimism that Pakistan’s passport ranking will continue to improve with sustained reforms and better global engagement.
