Uzbekistan climbs to 74th position in latest Henley Passport Index

Uzbekistan has improved its standing in the latest international passport rankings.

Photo: Kun.uz

According to the April 2026 report released by Henley & Partners, the Uzbek passport has climbed to 74th position globally.

At the beginning of the year, Uzbekistan held the 75th spot in the index. The latest update shows a one-step advancement, placing the nation alongside Kyrgyzstan and Mozambique. Currently, holders of an Uzbek passport can travel to 59 destinations worldwide either without a visa or by obtaining a visa on arrival at the airport.

Within the Central Asian region, Kazakhstan continues to maintain the lead, ranking 61st with access to 78 destinations. Following Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan at 74th place (59 destinations), Tajikistan holds the 81st position with 54 destinations, while Turkmenistan trails at 87th place with 47 destinations.

The global ranking is topped by Singapore, whose citizens enjoy visa-free access to 192 destinations. Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates follow closely, providing their nationals with seamless entry to 187 countries. Conversely, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the list, with its citizens able to visit only 24 destinations without a prior visa.

The Henley Passport Index bases its findings on exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), analyzing 199 different passports against 227 travel destinations.

Looking ahead, the Uzbek government aims to further expand travel freedom as part of the "Uzbekistan – 2030" strategy, which was approved in its updated version on February 16, 2026. The strategy outlines a goal to increase the number of visa-free destinations for Uzbek citizens by an additional 16 countries over the next five years. By 2030, the plan envisions a total of 50 countries offering visa-free entry and another 60 countries providing simplified travel procedures for Uzbek passport holders.

Significant progress has already been recorded recently, with visa-free travel regimes for Uzbek citizens being introduced for China and Jordan in 2025.