US passport falls out of top 10, sees historic low as Asian nations dominate
The United States passport is down in 12th place in the latest quarterly ranking, tied with Malaysia.
The US passport, for the first time in its 20 year history has fallen out of the list of the top 10 world's most powerful passports.
In the latest quarterly update of the Henley Passport Index – created by the London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners – Singapore tops the global list, granting visa-free entry to 193 destinations, followed closely by South Korea (190) and Japan (189).
The United States is down in 12th place in the latest quarterly ranking, tied with Malaysia. European countries such as Germany, Italy, and Spain round out the top five.
Which are the top 10 strongest passports in the world?
As per the 2025 Henley Passport Index, the top 10 strongest passports in the world are as follows:
- Singapore – which offers visa free access to 193 countries
- South Korea - which offers visa free access to 190 countries
- Japan - which offers visa free access to 189 countries
- Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland - which offers visa free access to 188 countries
- Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands- which offers visa free access to 187 countries
- Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden- which offers visa free access to 186 countries
- Austria, Czechia- which offers visa free access to 185 countries
- Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, UK- which offers visa free access to 184 countries
- Canada- which offers visa free access to 183 countries
- Latvia, Liechtenstein-which offers visa free access to 182 countries
What was US passport's ranking earlier?
In 2014, the US passport was at the top of the list — the most powerful passport in the world. In July 2025 it slipped down to the 10th place, and just a few months later, in October – it tumbled down further, landing at the 12th spot, tied with Malaysia.
Why the drop?
The drop in the US Passport's ranking's come is linked to a series of changes across the globe, as per a report by CNN.
In April, Brazil ended visa-free entry for travellers from the US Canada, and Australia, citing a lack of reciprocity. Meanwhile, China expanded its visa-free policy to include dozens of mostly European nations, such as Germany and France — but notably left out the US.
Other countries, including Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, also revised their entry rules, boosting the rankings of several other passports while further weakening that of the US, mentioned a report by CNN. The latest Henley Passport Index report notes that additional setbacks came when Somalia introduced a new eVisa system and Vietnam omitted the US from its latest list of visa-free additions.
“Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind," said Christian H. Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners, in a statement.
How does Henley rank passports?
Henley and Partners mentioned that the ranking of all the world’s passports are according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).