In the previous report issued in December 2025, Vietnam’s passport ranked 90th. For the entirety of 2025, the country had held the 91st position. The 2026 placement marks Vietnam’s highest ranking in the past five years, since 2020.

According to the Henley Passport Index, Vietnamese citizens can now travel to 49 destinations worldwide without needing to obtain a visa in advance. These destinations either offer visa-free access, visa-on-arrival, or entry via an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), out of a total of 199 countries and territories assessed.

Passport rankings are widely regarded as an indicator of a country’s degree of global integration and openness. In terms of visa openness, Vietnam currently ranks 80th, offering visa waivers to nearly 40 destinations.

The majority of destinations accessible to Vietnamese passport holders are located within Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar. Additional countries and territories include island nations and archipelagos such as the Maldives, the Cook Islands, Cape Verde, and Comoros.

Throughout the more than 20-year history of the Henley Passport Index, the highest rank Vietnam has ever achieved was 78th, during the 2006–2007 period. Other notable milestones include 79th in 2008–2009, 84th in 2010, and 81st in 2013–2014.

The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of destinations a passport holder can access without a prior visa. It draws on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), combined with research conducted by Henley & Partners.

Commenting on broader global trends, Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the index, remarked: “In a world of increasing uncertainty, passport power is becoming a critical factor in unlocking opportunities for security and prosperity. These advantages are increasingly concentrated in countries with robust economies and stable political systems.”

The top 10 most powerful passports in 2026, according to the Henley Passport Index, are:

Singapore – 192 destinations
Japan and South Korea – 188 destinations
Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland – 186 destinations
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway – 185 destinations
Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates – 184 destinations
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand, Poland – 183 destinations
Australia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom – 182 destinations
Canada, Iceland, Lithuania – 181 destinations
Malaysia – 180 destinations
United States – 179 destinations

Trong Nghia