Maltese passport sinks to seventh place in 2025 Henley Passport Index, dropping by 2 spots

In 2025, the Maltese passport has been ranked seventh in the world on the Henley Passport Index. Despite the high ranking, Malta has slipped two spots from last year.

Joining Malta in seventh place are Canada and Poland, with the top spot being held by Singapore, followed by Japan in second place and Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain in third place.

The Henley Passport Index is the primary and authoritative ranking of all global passports, evaluating them based on the number of destinations their holders can visit without needing a visa in advance. Therefore, it compares the passports of 199 countries and states to 227 travel destinations.

The ranking system dictates that if no visa is required, then a score with a value “=1” is created for that passport. The same rule applies if one can obtain a visa on arrival (VOA), a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.

When a visa is required, or if a passport holder must secure a government-approved electronic visa (e-Visa) prior to departure, a score of 0 is assigned. The same applies if pre-departure government approval is needed for a visa on arrival.

The total score for each passport is determined by the number of destinations where no visa is required (value = 1).

In Malta’s case, the passport facilitates access to 188 countries.  

Malta’s lowest ranking was in 2010, standing in 15th place. Since then, the ranking increased progressively from 11th place in 2011 and 2012, switching from eighth and ninth place between 2013 and 2016 to eventually reaching its highest-ranking last year.