Croatian passport enters global top 10, surpassing UK and US

The Croatian passport has achieved a historic milestone, ranking among the world’s ten most powerful travel documents for the first time.

According to the 2026 Henley Passport Index, the country now holds 8th place globally, its highest position to date.

Croatian citizens can currently travel to 181 destinations without a visa, granting them greater global mobility than citizens of both the United Kingdom and the United States.

The index, compiled by global consultancy Henley & Partners, ranks passports based strictly on the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa. It does not measure economic strength or general quality of life.

Drivers of growth
Analysts attribute this rise to several key diplomatic and economic factors:

Consistent and stable international relations.

Full integration into the Schengen area.

Ongoing membership in the Eurozone.

These developments have collectively strengthened the standing of the Croatian passport on the international stage, particularly regarding freedom of movement.

While Croatia’s performance is strong, it still trails some European Union peers. Italy ranks 4th with access to 185 destinations, Hungary sits in 6th place, and Slovenia shares 7th.

However, a significant gap remains between Croatia and its non-EU neighbours such as Serbia at 30th place.

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Montenegro & North Macedonia at 37th place

Bosnia and Herzegovina 40th place.

Global rankings overview

Following the latest update to the Henley Passport Index, the global hierarchy of travel freedom has seen a notable shift.

Singapore remains the world leader, providing its citizens with access to 192 destinations.

It is followed closely by Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, which share the second tier with access to 187 destinations.

Sweden maintains a strong solo position in third place, offering visa-free entry to 186 locations.

The fourth and fifth tiers are dominated by European nations. A large group of twelve countries, including Italy, France, Germany, and Spain, share fourth place with 185 destinations.

Just behind them, Austria, Greece, Malta, and Portugal, occupy the fifth spot with 184 destinations. The United Kingdom currently sits in sixth place alongside Hungary, Malaysia, and Poland, granting access to 183 destinations.

In the seventh tier, a diverse group including Australia, Canada, and Slovenia offers access to 182 destinations.

Croatia has achieved a historic high in eighth place, sharing the rank with
Estonia at 181 destinations.

Rounding out the top ten are Liechtenstein and Lithuania the in ninth place (180 destinations), and finally
Iceland and the United States which share the tenth position with visa-free access to 179 destinations.

Ngozi Ekugo

Ngozi Ekugo is a Senior Correspondent at BusinessDay. She holds a Masters in management from the University of Lagos, an undergraduate from University of Lagos, and is in an alumni of Queen's College. Shes currently an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). She has a brief experience at Goldman sachs, London in its Human Capital Management division. She is interested in human capital development and is leveraging her varied experience across sectors to report labour and global mobility trends for stakeholders to make informed decisions.