Malaysian passport remains world's 7th most powerful
The Malaysian passport has maintained its position as the world's seventh most powerful, granting visa-free access to 183 destinations. It remains the second most powerful in Southeast Asia, trailing only Singapore.
Why it matters
Passport rankings are key indicators of a nation's diplomatic standing and the global mobility afforded to its citizens.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian passport remained the world's seventh most powerful in the Henley Passport Index 2026, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 183 destinations.
According to the index, Malaysia shared seventh place with Australia, Canada, Czechia, Latvia, New Zealand, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Within Southeast Asia, Malaysia retained its position as the region's second most powerful passport behind Singapore, which topped the global ranking with visa-free access to 192 destinations. Brunei was ranked 19th with access to 163 destinations.
Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shared second place, followed by Sweden in third.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain shared fourth place, while Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Switzerland were fifth.
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