Malaysian passports. Photo courtesy of the official portal of the Sarawak government
The Malaysian passport has climbed two places to rank 10th in the latest index by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, marking its return to the top 10 after seven years.
Malaysia shares the position with Iceland, allowing passport holders to enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 181 destinations worldwide.
In 2018, the Malaysian passport secured 10th place in the ranking but slipped out of the top 10 in the following years.
Last year, the Malaysian passport was 12th most powerful passport.
The Henley Passport Index tracks global travel freedom across 227 countries and territories, using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
It ranks 199 passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without obtaining a visa in advance. Updated regularly throughout the year to reflect changes in visa policies, the index is widely regarded as a key measure of global mobility.
Singapore continues holding the title of the world’s most powerful passport, allowing visa-free entry to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea and Japan.
The five weakest passports belong to Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
Global citizenship financial advisory firm Arton Capital recently ranked Malaysian passport third globally with visa-free access to 174 destinations in the 2025 ranking, up seven places from last year.
