Sri Lankan Passport Ranked 93rd in the World

For many Sri Lankans, passport strength is not defined by rankings alone, but by real-life experiences—long waits at embassies, rejected visa applications, and missed opportunities due to delays.

In 2026, Sri Lanka’s passport ranks 93rd on the Henley Passport Index, offering visa-free or simplified access to 39 destinations. While this marks an improvement compared to recent years, it still reflects a significant decline from earlier decades.

What the Index Measures 📊

The Henley Passport Index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association and evaluates 199 passports across 227 destinations.

It essentially measures how freely citizens can travel without prior visa approvals. A lower ranking indicates greater difficulty—more documentation, stricter scrutiny, and longer waiting periods.

Two Decades of Decline 📉

Sri Lanka’s current position is the result of a long-term downward trend:

• 2006 – Ranked 74th
• 2007 – 76th
• 2008–2009 – 79th
• 2010 – 84th
• 2011 – 92nd
• 2012 – 96th

Despite the end of the civil war, the decline continued.

• 2013–2014 – Brief recovery to 88th
• 2015 – Sharp drop to 101st

In the following years, rankings fluctuated without major improvement:

• 2016–2017 – 95th–96th
• 2018 – 99th
• 2019 – 96th
• 2020 – 97th

The lowest point came in:

• 2021 – 107th

This coincided with Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, foreign exchange shortages, and increased migration pressures.

Gradual Recovery 📈

Since then, the country has seen a slow improvement:

• 2022 – 102nd
• 2023 – 100th
• 2024–2025 – 96th
• 2026 – 93rd

This marks the strongest position in nearly a decade—but still well below earlier levels.