Namibia’s passport has improved its global standing, rising to 62nd place worldwide in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, according to data published by Henley & Partners.
The ranking gives Namibian passport holders visa-free, visa-on-arrival or electronic travel authorisation access to 76 destinations. This represents an improvement from 2025, when Namibia ranked 65th globally.
Henley & Partners said Namibia ranked fifth in Africa. Seychelles remained the continent’s strongest performer, placing 24th globally with access to 152 destinations, followed by Mauritius at 27th with 147 destinations.
South Africa ranked 48th worldwide, allowing access to 101 destinations, while Botswana followed at 59th with 81 destinations.
Namibia ranked ahead of Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia, but behind Africa’s top four performers.
Globally, passport strength continues to be dominated by Asian and European countries, according to the index. Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport for the sixth consecutive year, offering access to 192 destinations without a prior visa. Japan ranked second with access to 188 destinations.
South Korea and Denmark shared third place, each granting access to 186 destinations, while Austria ranked fourth with 185 destinations. Hungary completed the global top five, allowing entry to 184 destinations.
At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan ranked last at 101st, with access to just 24 destinations. It was followed by Syria at 100th with 26 destinations, Iraq at 99th with 29 destinations, Yemen at 98th with 31 destinations and Somalia at 97th with 33 destinations.
Henley & Partners said the Henley Passport Index is the original global ranking of passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a prior visa.
The ranking is compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association, which maintains one of the world’s largest and most accurate travel information databases, and is supplemented by research conducted by Henley & Partners.
