New Canada Passport Ranking 2026 With Full List Of Visa Free Countries

Last Updated On 17 January 2026, 10:53 AM EST (Toronto Time)

Passport Ranking 2026: Canada remains one of the world’s most powerful passports, but the latest Henley Passport Index dataset for January 2026 shows a clear change in where Canada sits in the global top tier.

Canada is ranked 8th in 2026, with a mobility score of 181, meaning Canadians can access over 180 destinations without needing to secure a traditional visa in advance.

In this year’s table, Canada shares the 8th-place position with Iceland and Lithuania, while the United Kingdom and Australia sit one tier above at 7th with 182, and the United States appears at 10th with 179.

The bigger headline at the top is how tight the competition has become: Singapore leads the world at 192, followed by Japan and South Korea at 188, with a large cluster of European passports sitting in the mid-180s.

For Canadian travellers, that global race matters because even small ranking shifts often reflect real-world policy changes that can affect whether your next trip is truly visa-free.

This article provides the complete 2026 list of where Canadians can travel with complete visa-free entry, where an ETA is required before boarding, where a visa is issued on arrival, and where Canadians must apply in advance for an e-visa or a traditional visa.

Full List of Visa-Free Countries For Canadian Passports In 2026

Visa Requirements for Canada Passport Holders by Country as per Henley’s Index

Canadian passport holders can travel to the following countries without requiring a visa in advance.

Visa-free means you can enter without obtaining advance permission, though there may be stay limitations (typically 30-90 days for tourism).

Completely Visa-Free Entry

A

Albania
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Aruba
Austria

B

Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria

C

Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curacao
Cyprus
Czechia

D

Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic

E

Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
eSwatini

F

Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French West Indies

G

Georgia
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guyana

H

Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong (SAR China)
Hungary

I

Iceland
Ireland
Italy

J

Jamaica
Japan

K

Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan

L

Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg

M

Macao (SAR China)
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco

N

Netherlands
New Caledonia
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway

O

Oman

P

Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico

R

Reunion
Romania
Rwanda

S

San Marino
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
St. Helena
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland

T

Tajikistan
Thailand
The Bahamas
The Gambia
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turks and Caicos Islands

U

Ukraine
United States
Uruguay
US Virgin Islands
Uzbekistan

V

Vanuatu
Vatican City

Z

Zambia

Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)

ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) requires online application before travel but is typically approved quickly (within hours or days).

American Samoa
Australia
Israel
Kenya
Mozambique
New Zealand
Palestinian Territory
Seychelles
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts and Nevis
United Kingdom

Visa on Arrival (VOA)

VOA (Visa on Arrival) countries allow you to obtain the visa when you arrive at the airport or border, usually for a fee.

A-B

Armenia
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Burundi

C

Cambodia
Cape Verde Islands
Comoro Islands

D-E

Djibouti
Egypt
Ethiopia

G-I

Guinea-Bissau
Indonesia
Jordan

K-L

Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon

M

Madagascar
Maldives
Marshall Islands

N-P

Namibia
Nepal
Niue
Palau Islands
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay

Q

Qatar

S

Samoa
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands

T

Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu

U-Z

United Arab Emirates
Zimbabwe

Full List Of Visa-Required Countries For Canadian Passport Holders

Canadian passport holders MUST obtain a visa before travelling to the following countries.

E-Visa (Electronic Visa)

E-Visa countries require advance online application with longer processing times.

An electronic visa must be applied for and approved online before travel. Processing times vary by country.

A-B

Azerbaijan
Benin
Bhutan
Burkina Faso

C

Cameroon
Congo (Dem. Rep.)
Côte d’Ivoire
Cuba

E-G

Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Guinea

I

India
Iraq

L-M

Liberia
Malawi
Mauritania
Myanmar

N

Nigeria

P-S

Pakistan
Somalia
South Sudan
Syria

T-V

Togo
Uganda
Vietnam

Traditional Visa Required

A traditional visa must be obtained through an embassy/consulate before travel.

A-C

Afghanistan
Algeria
Brazil
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Congo (Rep.)

E-I

Eritrea
Ghana
Iran

L-N

Libya
Mali
Nauru
Niger
North Korea

R-Y

Russian Federation
Sudan
Turkmenistan
Venezuela
Yemen

Canada Passport Summary Statistics

Total Countries/Territories: 195+

Visa-Free Access:

Complete Visa-Free: ~140 countries
Visa on Arrival (VOA): ~40 countries
Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA): ~12 countries

Total Visa- Free/Easy Access: ~185+ destinations

Visa Required:

E-Visa Available: ~25 countries
Traditional Visa Required: ~20 countries

Total Visa Required: ~45 destinations

What Canadian travellers should do before booking a “visa-free” trip

Even when a destination is categorized as visa-free (or relatively easy access), travellers can still run into problems if they overlook standard entry conditions.

The dataset notes that rules can change frequently and travellers should verify requirements before travel.

Practical pre-trip checks typically include:

Passport validity: many destinations expect about 6 months of validity remaining
Proof of onward travel: return ticket or onward itinerary
Proof of funds: ability to support yourself during the stay
Travel insurance: required for entry in some places, strongly recommended almost everywhere
Stay limits: many visa-free entries are limited to short stays (often 30–90 days for tourism)

Canada’s 8th-place passport ranking in 2026 confirms that Canadians still enjoy top-tier global mobility, with access to over 180 destinations without needing a traditional visa in advance.

But the most important detail is not the headline rank; it is the entry category for your specific destination, because visa-free, ETA, visa on arrival, e-visa, and traditional visa requirements can create very different travel outcomes.

Before you book flights or lock in accommodation, double-check the exact entry rules for your destination, including passport validity requirements, length-of-stay limits, proof of onward travel, and any mandatory online authorizations.

Requirements can change quickly, and even a “visa-free” trip can fall apart at check-in if an ETA or e-visa is required.

Use the full list above as your planning checklist, and treat it as a starting point for confirming the latest official rules for your route and purpose of travel.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How are passport rankings actually calculated?

Most passport rankings are built from a single idea: how many destinations you can enter for short stays without securing a traditional visa before departure. The score is assembled from destination-by-destination entry rules for standard passport holders travelling for tourism or business, then converted into a rank. Methodology differences matter, so two indexes can place the same passport differently if they count categories like online authorizations, permits, or specific entry conditions in different ways.

Why do different websites show different rankings for the same year?

Not all “passport indexes” measure the same thing. Some use different data sources, refresh schedules, and category definitions, which can change what gets counted as “easy access.” A second common reason is timing: rankings may update multiple times a year, so a screenshot from earlier months can differ from a later update even if the year label looks the same.

Does a stronger passport rank guarantee entry at the border?

No, a high ranking indicates fewer pre-travel permission steps, not a guaranteed admission decision. Border officials still assess admissibility on arrival, and airlines can apply their own compliance checks based on carrier rules and transit requirements. In practice, the “ranking” helps most with planning friction, but it does not replace meeting entry conditions.

If I have dual citizenship, which passport should I use when travelling?

Use the passport that gives you the smoothest entry to the country you are visiting, but follow citizenship rules for each border. Many countries expect their citizens to enter and leave using that country’s passport, and airlines often want to see the document that matches your right of entry for your final destination. For returning to Canada, travelling with your Canadian passport generally reduces complications at boarding and arrival.

Can I enter a visa-free country with a Canadian passport if I do not have a return ticket?

Some destinations may still require proof of onward travel at check-in or on arrival. If you cannot show it, airlines or border officials can refuse boarding or entry even if the country is visa-free.

What is the difference between an ETA and an e-visa?

An ETA is typically a pre-travel electronic authorization, often faster and lighter than a visa. An e-visa is still a visa application that must be approved before you travel, and it may require more documents and longer processing.

If a country is “visa on arrival,” can I just show up without any preparation?

Not always, some VOA destinations still expect passport photos, a fee, proof of accommodation, or specific documents. It is also common for airlines to ask for confirmation that VOA is available for Canadians before allowing boarding.

Do visa-free destinations always mean I can stay as long as I want?

No, visa-free entry usually comes with a strict maximum stay, and overstaying can lead to fines, bans, or entry issues on future trips.

Satinder Bains

Satinder brings expertise, knowledge, and experience related to internal work flows at IRCC. She worked at Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh before moving to Canada. Her articles on “Chinook – An internal IRCC tool used to bulk process temporary applications” was one of the notable work on our news website