The report, prepared by the Henley & Partners, ranked Pakistan at 91st along with Somalia, followed by only Iraq and Afghanistan at 92 and 93 respectively. PHOTO: FILE
Pakistani passport remain one of the worst to travel with according to the Visa Restriction Index.
The report, prepared by the Henley & Partners, ranked Pakistan at 91st along with Somalia, followed by only Iraq and Afghanistan at 92 and 93 respectively.
The index ranks countries according to the travel freedom their citizens benefit from.
Pakistanis enjoy visa-free access to only 32 destinations out of total 218 countries.
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According to the survey, United Kingdom, Sweden and Finland top the index as their passport holders enjoy hassle free travel to 173 countries. While the report ranks United States at second position along with Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg with visa free access to 172 destinations.
India is ranked at 74 with easy access to 52 countries, while the index ranked Bangladesh at 85 with visa free access to 41 destinations.
Earlier in April, Kuwait excluded Pakistan along with five other countries from its new visa regime, under which Kuwaiti embassies and consulates were given full authority to issue the visas based on procedures stipulated by the law and its regulations.
In 2011, Kuwait had barred nationals of six countries, namely Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Afghanistan from entering the country.
The ban, which was imposed in 2011, on nationals of these six countries was attributed to the “difficult security conditions in the six countries” and to “the remarkably increasing tendency of Kuwait-based nationals from these countries to apply for visas to bring into Kuwait relatives who faced or could face serious challenges in their home countries.”
COMMENTS (79)
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UK might be ranked 1 but their citizens still need a visa to visit Australia, part of their own Commonwealth but not needed the other way.
@ Shahzad: Do you have a choice? When you've been placed in solitary confinement, i.e. the world doesn't want you; then I guess it doesn't make much sense to not like where you are.
I still love Pakistan. Pakistan Zindabad.
Mr steller@ than i can say pakistan has 30 percent literacy because taliban educate pak people for your info india produce most doctor,ingineer,phd.
These restrictions are more economy and population driven than security risk. Everyone knew people from densly populated countries with poor economies tends to migrate to opportunities rich countries. Therefore, some economically strong muslims may not allow visa free access to people from countries like Pakistan, BD, India and China. If you wish to have more free access for Pakistanis, then develop economy which can only be done if you make environment for investment more conducive. The two most important elements for this are 1) peace and 2) justice.
Not that I am surprised by this in any way, however the silver lining is that as bad this may be, it perhaps may stem some of the brain drain given the challenges people have obtaining visas for greener pastures.
"(One) must find the good in any situation." Longshanks
@Mard-e-Haq:
You have to be rational. If Saudi Arabia allowed visa free travel to Pakistan their population would swell to over 200 million!
But its a fact that Pakistanis are the largest Expat community residing in Saudi Arabia, larger even than Indians. Also Saudi Arabia provides more aid to Pakistan than US and Europe combined do.
@Bisal: Yes, In India anyone is considered literate who can sigh his name, this is not the international standard of measuring literacy rate.
India does not have any reliable indicator of 'who is a literate person'. Plenty of surveys investigating claims of 'literacy' levels achieved show official claims of 75% + literacy in India to be false. If real literacy is the ability to receive and communicate information through text, then literacy in this country is much below 50%. Half of all people the Govt says are literate cannot even read the destination written on a bus! This is shameful but it has to be recognized.
First, we need to imrpove condition of ordinary Pakisatanis in Pakistan, before expecting respect from outside. It's much more important than the visa free travel outside the country.
@Stellar:
Fact is that Indian passport is devalued largely due to a bunch of ultra-peaceful people. Guess who!
Name a third world country-nigeria,south africa,pakistan etc which has 55 billionaries,one of the best space tech,it hub,has monorail,has organized f-1,commonwealth games,one of the best film industry.
Visa free entry is basically directly proportional, how many countries , is Pakistan giving visa free entry on ordinary passport nearly non :)
Mr steller india poverty now 11 where pakistan is 22 percent.india literacy 74 percent where pak has a huge 57 percent.
Now Pakistan has to impose restrictions must to show the AIDS/HIV negative certificate while entering Pakistan for the foreigners most especially importantly from USA,UK,Canada and other Western countries......
@Stellar: Indian poverty rate is lesser than Pakistan and literate rate is higher. Most western countries favor India than Pakistan. Last week India has become the 3rd largest economy in the world. Any way who care about Pakistan.
Lets STOP the RANT and raise our voices to get a solution to fix the image!
@Nadir: Kindly specify what potential are u referring to?. Is it based on our world class education, technology, medicines or simply just peace in the country?
Surprisingly, almost all posters blame the government for this. None of them seem to understand that these restrictions are because of the "kartoot" of their fellow countrymen when they visit abroad. Having seen this first hand in Middle East and the West, if I were a foreign national, I would want to ban all Pakistani passports. Period.
It is kind of funny or shall I say ironical that Pakistan has an Exit Control List. It would appear from this report that the world, particularly the western world has put the whole nation on the ECL. I think what we as a nation should reflect on, is the reason why the world has put up these ' no entry' or 'restricted entry' signs for us. And now to add to our problems, we have the WHO calling for tougher travel restrictions on Pakistanis, due to the fact that we are not polio-free. It is quite possible that next year may fall behind Somalia.
its all rabish every country have there own visa policy even pakistan have the most diffucult way to get visa and why we need to travel other country first of All we our own pakistani could come together and become strong nation long live pakistan even i travel 15 countries i dont even have a prob with my ordaniry pakistani passport
@MA: Not really true. Many Indians with US passports complain that Arabs pay according to skin color.
How many percent of Pakistanis Speak in urdu? And how come urdu is the state language of Pakistan?
let me know what are the 32 destinations for pakistani to get easy access?
Looks like my next vacation will be in Burundi!
@seema hasan You may be correct. The problem is our image. Every day in the news there is a suicide bombing or some killings. Pakistanis in the UK support the overthrow of governments of muslim countries and the replacement with a caliphate. In that context would a Kuwaiti want Pakistanis in their land.
Disagree with these facts no solid research behind
@SHB: "Why ET has to bring this kind of news again and again?" . Please keep the ET readers as ignorant as you can. Ah, the blessedness.
@A Paki: Brother we have also English in front of our passport, does any English country allow us to enter their country. And for Arabic language yes we respect because of religious matter.
Many writers have written about "muslim ummah". This is a concept only and doesn't represent reality. Secondly, our foreign missions abroad must share a lot of responsibility for this state of affairs. In countries with a size-able overseas Pakistanis, the treatment at the hands of our embassies is, at the minimum, "humiliating".
Hahah...So much for the "umma"
Indonesia - Country with the largest muslim population...and Indians get Visa on Arrival..Same for Jordan..another one your Umma brothers.. :) :)
Cheers!
In Arab Countries, I will be paid double with a British passport than with a Pakistani passport even if the Pakistani passport holder is more qualified than that of the British citizen.
@ Zeeshan Kayani: I have lived in Kuwait for over 25 years. Can you tell me in the past twenty five years how many terrorist incidents there were in Kuwait and what proportion were attributed to Pakistanis living there or sourced from there?
@stellar pakistan is ranked 91st your beloved china at 82nd while india at 74 get the difference? You forgot many points this may we became thirds third largest economy surpassing japan. So we have already distinction in many fields and will continue to do so.
Nothing New... I am glad you woke up to find out about it.
I recently Applied for a visit visa to Australia from Qatar, where I am working and the visa was rejected on the basis that since I am only a resident in Qatar and have no guarantee to gain residency there and also the political and social situation in my home country, Pakistan is a strong incentive for me to remain in Australia. Furthermore the Modified Non-Return Rate (MNRR) of Pakistan is significantly higher than the Global MNRR. http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/quarterly-report.htm
@Mard-e-Haq: Well I would ask Imran Khan that question if he were in govt but since hs isnt i suppose PM Nawaz Sharif is the man to talk too.
E.T by publishing these anti-state news is asking for the wrath of Pakistanis. Look what happened to your competitor, can also be billed as traitors by the agencies, except paid by their masters in India for defaming Pakistan.
Indians are behaving like the country is tucked away somewhere in North America or north of Europe, It is still a third world country with the largest number of poor and impoverished, illiterate people in the world, and no country in the world is capable of taking this distinction from India in near future. The Indian Passport is valued just above Afghanistan, B'desh and Pakistan, nothing for chest thumping.
Instead of thinking that how to approach to said countries visas who banned & restricted Pakistani Nationals from entering their regions, Pakistani nationals must boycott their products and ban on providing every kind of support to the said countries.
The funniest part is, all the poor hungry countries all us to get a visa free entry. Pakistanies dont make big money, so once they save much for traveling, they end up on visiting femine hit devastated countries like Somalia and all..
Now why would I go to spend all me savings in a place where I would be equally terrified and may get kidnapped or get killed. I think, the only solution Pakistan thought to reduce the population was to send the Pakistanies visa free to such countries to either die by their worst security situation, or die latter by HIV Aids...
We have done it to ourselves. We must become peaceful, civilised and honest to earn others respect.
@Nadir: All these countries that limit access to Pakistanis are jealous of Pakistan’s potential!"" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pakistan is a country of perpetual potential. If u get what I mean.
@Nadir:
Potential? What Potential?
You guys in Pakistan actually live in fools paradise.
@Nadir: Even the brethren Muslim countries does not extend the visa free entry tor Pakistanis who always claims to be the thekedar of Muslims , what pqtential, the potrntial to c arry out jihad every where. /
This is actually a really serious matter. But I guess our government is too busy burning our money and couldn't care less about this.
He meant juwaz ul safar which is arabic n its wriiten on the passport. @Usman:
@A Paki: Or should I say an Indian? Perhaps you need to remind yourself why the Persian- Arabic script is found on so many monuments and buildings all over South Asia including India. Perhaps you forget that Muslim civilization ruled the region for over 1000 years before the arrival of the British.
@A Paki: Dude chill down, a lot of Pakistanis still travel and live in arab countries, that is by far majority of expat pakistanis. Arabic is one of the biggest languages in the region. Don't be biased against arabic just because of stupid Arabs.
@A Paki:
"We don’t speak arabic… No Arab nation lets us enter their country… but we still have the arabic on the front of our passport. WHY?"
Because most Pakistani's believe they are Arabs. The official position of Pakistan is, it is part of the middle-east and not south Asia. Aren't children taught this their Pakistan studies?
China welcomes Pakistanis with open arms and without any documents. Congratulations for being the best friends!
solution to our problems is ask our army to win some oil rich ground on the west. This will make us rich, or at least, not too poor and that will reflect on our passport's acceptability
@A Paki: It's not Arabic. If it were , it would be Bakistan!
It's Urdu which also has Persian letters
i do not think so, i am traveling quite often for the last 5 years , i have an ordinary Pakistani passport , 4 different airport in in last 3 years only in Europe, entry and exit and i swear of Allah i do not have any problem because of my passport.
@A Paki: Obviously you do not know the difference between Urdu and Arabic.
Please restrict your comments to Indian newspapers. Why so much interest in Pakistan?
@A Paki: You are absolutely right. Why do we always ape the Arabs who regard Pakistanis as substandard human beings? @Mard-e-Haq Forget the Ummah! They don't care about religious affinity. Pakistanis go out of their way to ape them and please them; the more Pakis do, the greater is the Arab resentment. You ought to see when a green Pakistani passport holder arrives at the airport of any Muslim country -- he/she is closely watched by people and treated like dirt. That's the kind of respect Pakistanis get. So why shout and blame India, USA, UK and other developed countries that do not welcome Pakistanis because of political/security risks?!
We don't speak arabic... No Arab nation lets us enter their country... but we still have the arabic on the front of our passport. WHY?
Indeed ironic for a country that is a preferred hunting destination for Arab royalty, hosts an important Chinese naval facility, one that has the ability to borrow billions from the world bank and is the fifth largest denim maker in Asia. Perhaps a picture of a nuclear bomb on the cover of the passport might help.
KSA do allow any national to travel KSA on visa on arrival, Henley Visa Restrictions Index is index of 100 countries, and not all. There are many other countries that does not allow VOA.
Shame on our so called leaders.
While the western democracies allow people of similar countries to travel without any visa restriction. Our brotherly Muslim countries do not want to see us there on one pretext or the other. Yet we are bent upon calling ourselves middle eastern and Arab with all the rebukes. They may throw us a bone or two but not basic human rights let alone equality.
Surprise, surprise !! At least there are 32 countries which allow visa free travel to Pakistanis and are willing to take the risk of letting Pakistanis in without checks! Please name a few ! May be Somalia, Iraq and the likes!
The concept of Ummah failed in Kuwait.
I know I am going to get negative comments but Kuwait was right to restrict entry. If I were Kuwaiti would I want to risk terrorist outfits setting up in my country. I would not want Pakistanis coming to my country. When we solve our problems then Kuwait will allow us free entry. We need to stop blaming the rest the world and look at ourselves and wonder why other countries fear us.
All these countries that limit access to Pakistanis are jealous of Pakistan's potential!
I'm not surprised at all.
a slap on face of Foreign office. such agreements are on reciprocal basis. If you see the name of these 32 countries, most of them are unheard. Atleast have agreement with African countries so that Pakistanis can explore trade opportunities. Some of them offer visa of arrival for $50 but our FIA makes it difficult and ask for so many documents at airport.
There was a time in the early 60's when I first went to England, we could travel almost anywhere, and getting a visa was no problem. Now, we are at par with Somalia. Pakistan's image has gone down the chute; the devaluation of the passport, a consequence of that.
Pakistan is a founding member of OIC but all muslim countries have tougher visa restrictions for Pakistani Passport than they have for India.
Das ist not gut!
hats off to our foreign policy. this was the expected result of poking nose to other countries'affairs,but we still don't take lesson from history.now the latest adventure is sending troops to middle east making more enemies
I wonder which 32 destinations are those. We need visa even for BD which was part of our country!
Imran Khan once promised that the green passport would be the envy of the world. Truth is, even Afghanistan does not allow visa-free travel for Pakistanis.
"Sweeter than honey" China is at rank 82 with visa-free access to 44 countries.
What? Even Saudi Arabia does not extend visa-free travel privileges to Pakistan? No Arab nation, it seems, allows visa-free travel for Pakistanis? Whatever happened to the Ummah?
African nations more generous. They include Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mali Mauritania, Mozambique, Seychelles,Tanzania,Togo and Uganda.