Sri Lanka has climbed three places in the 2025 Global Passport Index, moving from 171st to 168th, according to the latest report by Dubai-based consultancy firm Nomad Capitalist.
The index, published annually, evaluates passports from around the world based on five key criteria: visa-free travel, taxation, global perception, dual citizenship potential, and personal freedom.
This year, Sri Lanka scored 43.5 overall. Currently, Sri Lankan passport holders enjoy visa-free, visa-on-arrival, or e-visa access to 57 countries. However, the country’s performance in other categories remains a concern.
In the “global perception” category, Sri Lanka received a score of 30. According to Nomad Capitalist, countries scoring below 50 in this metric often face unfavorable attitudes abroad, suggesting that Sri Lankan travelers may encounter less-than-welcoming responses in many regions.
Sri Lanka scored particularly low on “personal freedom,” with just 20 points—placing it within the range classified as offering “very limited freedom” to citizens.
Ireland topped the 2025 index with a score of 109, granting Irish passport holders access to 176 countries either visa-free or with visa on arrival. Switzerland and Greece shared second place, each scoring 108.5, followed by Portugal in fourth and Malta and Italy jointly in fifth.
Within South Asia, the Maldives boasts the strongest passport, ranking 104th globally with a score of 65.5 and visa-free access to 101 countries. Bhutan follows at 140th with a score of 49, placing it ahead of both India (148th, score: 47.5) and Sri Lanka.
At the lower end of the index, Afghanistan ranks last at 199th with a score of 27, followed by Pakistan at 195th (score: 32), Bangladesh at 181st, and Nepal at 180th (score: 39.5).
Despite its modest improvement in ranking, Sri Lanka continues to trail several of its South Asian neighbors in terms of passport strength and global mobility.
