Nepal’s passport index score has improved modestly, climbing to 95th place in the latest rankings by the Henley Passport Index released on Thursday. The country had ranked 101st last year and 103rd in 2024, reflecting a gradual upward trend.

According to the index, which measures how many destinations passport holders can access without a prior visa, the Nepali passport now provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 35 destinations.

Within South Asia, the Maldives holds the strongest passport, followed by India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Nepal ranks ahead of Pakistan and Afghanistan but slightly behind other regional peers.

Globally, Singapore retains the top spot as the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 195 destinations. Japan ranks second, while South Korea, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Finland share the next tier of highly ranked passports.

The Henley Passport Index is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative global mobility benchmarks. It is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association and supplemented by research from Henley and Partners. By combining mobility data with economic indicators such as World Bank GDP figures, the index also highlights the link between passport strength and economic power.

While the improvement signals incremental progress, Nepal’s passport remains in the lower tier globally, underscoring ongoing challenges in travel freedom. Analysts say sustained diplomatic engagement, stronger bilateral agreements, and economic growth will be key to improving mobility further in the coming years.

Likewise, Nepal ranks 121st globally in the latest Henley Passport Power Index, a dataset that combines passport mobility with economic strength to assess the overall “power” of a passport.

According to the index, Nepal’s passport provides access to around 35 destinations, translating to roughly 15 percent of the world’s destinations.

The country accounts for 0.039 percent of global GDP, while its overall Henley Passport Power (HPP) score stands at 6.03 percent, reflecting the share of global economic output Nepalis can access without a visa.

In South Asia, the rankings show wide disparities in passport power where the Maldives ranked 66th, Bhutan 111th, India 115th and Nepal 121st. Similarly, Sri Lanka ranked 172nd, Pakistan 175th, Bangladesh 177th, and Afghanistan 178th, according to the latest release.

The data underscores the gap between Nepal and the region’s strongest passport, the Maldives, while still placing Nepal ahead of several South Asian peers.

The Henley Passport Power Index differs from the traditional mobility ranking by factoring in economic weight alongside visa-free access. The results highlight the strong correlation between economic size and travel freedom, suggesting that long-term improvements in Nepal’s global mobility will likely depend on sustained economic growth and expanded diplomatic ties.