Sri Lankan Passport Gaining Ground to Become More ‘Friendly’

The Sri Lankan passport has begun to regain lost ground, improving its position in global rankings after previously slipping to a low point.

After falling as low as 107 in recent years, the country’s travel document has shown steady improvement.

According to the Henley Passport Index 2026, Sri Lanka’s passport has strengthened its standing by three positions, moving up to 93rd place.

This marks a notable improvement compared to its 97th-place ranking in 2025 and a significant recovery from the 107th position it once held.

This upward movement comes amid Sri Lanka opening visa-free access to a greater number of countries, helping enhance the passport’s global appeal.

Despite room for further improvement, the Sri Lankan travel document continues to rank higher than several of its SAARC counterparts, including Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

The Henley Passport Index ranks passports worldwide based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a prior visa.

The index evaluates 199 passports against 227 travel destinations.

A score of 1 is awarded if no visa is required, or if travelers can obtain a visa on arrival (VOA), a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) upon entry.

A score of 0 is assigned where a visa must be obtained in advance, including cases requiring a government-approved electronic visa (e-Visa) prior to departure or pre-departure approval for a visa on arrival.

The total score for each passport reflects the number of destinations that can be accessed without a prior visa requirement.

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