Guyana passport among C’bean’s strongest with 88 visa-free destinations

Guyana passport has ranked higher than some of its major Caribbean neighbours according to the 2026 Henley and Partners Passport Index. The index puts Guyana’s passport at 55th globally – allowing for visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to some 88 countries and territories around the world.

This is a one-spot drop from last year’s ranking of 54th with access to some 91 countries. Guyana shares the 55th spot with Bahrain. Even though the country dropped one stop down from last year, the Guyana passport still ranked higher than some of its Caribbean neighbours that are major tourist destinations including Jamaica which came in at the 59th position with access to 84 visa-free destinations, and the Dominican Republic at 68th with visa-free access to 70 countries.

Guyana also came in a higher position than South American neighbours, Suriname which ranked 64th with access to 75 visa-free destinations and Bolivia 63rd with visa-free access to 77 destinations, as well global powerhouse economies such as China, India and Indonesia. For yet another year, Singapore continues to sit at the top of the global index with access to 192 destinations, while Afghanistan holds the last spot at 104th, with only 22 visa-free destinations.

The Henley Passport Index is a widely followed ranking of global passports for the past 20 years, assessing the strength of passports by the number of destinations holders can visit without needing to obtain a visa prior to travel. It compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association, the organisation said.

But even with a 55th ranking and visa-free access to 88 countries, the Henley Index highlighted that Guyana still does not have visa-free access to Europe’s Schengen area. The Schengen area, consisting of 29 European countries, includes Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and others, allowing for seamless travel across the region. For years, the Guyana Government has been pushing for visa-free travel to the Schengen countries.

Back in November 2022, the United Kingdom’s (UK) Government had lifted the visa requirement for Guyanese passport holders. President Dr Irfaan Ali had subsequently disclosed that at least five European countries have agreed to support Guyana’s bid for visa-free travel to Schengen area but no further progress in this has been reported. The opening of the French Embassy in Georgetown last September paved the way for the submission and processing of Schengen visa applications in Guyana, something that was long being pushed for. Previously, Guyanese wanting to obtain a Schengen visa would need to travel to neighbouring Suriname to complete the application process.

Back in May, French Ambassador to Guyana, Olivier Plançon, said his office is working to enhance the visa application and issuance process in the country. “Believe me, we are working to ease applications in Guyana,” Ambassador Plançon assured during the Private Sector Commission’s (PSC) Annual General Meeting, where he acknowledged the difficulties associated with the visa process. He explained that the topic of visas is a sensitive issue in Europe, particularly for the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, given the prevalence of trafficking and transnational crimes here. However, the French diplomat recognised that Guyana is not a crime exporter but an exporter of opportunities given the country’s rapid economic growth. “Please also be mindful of the fact that the Schengen visa is a gateway to no less than 27 countries, and our visa policy has to be coordinated with all of them, actually. That being said, we are constantly striving to streamline the visa issuance process and we are well aware that improvements are needed and expected,” Plançon noted. The French Ambassador had previous explained that while the long-term goal is visa-free travel between the two countries and the wider European Union (EU), the number of Schengen visas issued has doubled since the opening of the embassy here last year, moving from about 150 to now some 350.

Meanwhile, over the years, the Guyana Government has been in talks with a number of bilateral partners including Canada and India. Additionally, some countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have also introduced visa-free travel for Guyanese passport holders.