Tajikistan travellers comparing SCO passports: Kazakhstan ranks fourth for visa-free reach

Kazakhstan's passport has placed fourth among the ten member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in a passport mobility ranking published by Passport Reports. It sits behind Russia, China and Belarus, and ahead of the six remaining member states.

Key facts

• Ranking date: published 20 October 2026
• Kazakhstan's SCO position: fourth of ten member states
• Full order: Russia, China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, Iran, Pakistan
• Global position: 101st worldwide, and first in Central Asia
• What is measured: the number of destinations reachable without a visa, with a visa on arrival or via an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)

What does the ranking measure?

Passport Reports scores passports by how easily their holders can travel internationally, counting destinations that can be entered without a visa, with a visa on arrival or through an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). It does not measure entry arrangements between SCO member states.

Where passports share the same mobility score, the higher place goes to the one with more visa-free destinations, then to those with more destinations available through electronic travel authorisation and visas on arrival. Passports that are identical across all categories share the same ranking.

Where do the other SCO passports rank?

Russia takes first place among SCO member states, followed by China and Belarus. Kazakhstan comes fourth, ahead of Kyrgyzstan in fifth and Uzbekistan in sixth.

Tajikistan is seventh, with India, Iran and Pakistan completing the list in that order. In the latest global Passport Reports ranking, Kazakhstan stands at 101st worldwide and first in Central Asia.

What this means for travellers

Membership of the SCO does not automatically allow visa-free travel between member states — each country sets its own entry requirements. Travellers holding a passport from any SCO country should check the rules of their destination before booking rather than assuming regional membership brings any entry benefit.