Kuala lumpur: Malaysia's passport maintained its position as 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 BERNAMA News Agency, Malaysia shares the seventh spot with Australia, Canada, Czechia, Latvia, New Zealand, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Within Southeast Asia, Malaysia holds its rank as the region's second most powerful passport, trailing behind Singapore, which leads the global ranking with visa-free access to 192 destinations. Brunei is positioned 19th with access to 163 destinations.

In the global standings, Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) collectively hold the second position, followed by Sweden in third. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain share the fourth position. Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal, and Switzerland occupy the fifth slot.

Further down the list, Hungary, Poland, and the United Kingdom (UK) are ranked sixth, ahead of Croatia and Estonia in eighth place, with Liechtenstein and Lithuania in ninth. Malaysia surpasses several advanced economies, including the United States (US), which shares the tenth position with Iceland, while Hong Kong is positioned 14th.

Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Thailand is ranked 63rd with access to 77 destinations. Indonesia follows in 68th place with access to 70 destinations, the Philippines is in 72nd with 65 destinations, and Vietnam is ranked 87th. Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar are ranked 88th, 89th, and 91st, respectively.

The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a prior visa. The 2026 edition evaluated 199 passports across 227 travel destinations. Compiled by Henley and Partners using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the index is regularly updated to reflect changes in global travel access and mobility.