For the first time since the Henley Passport Index was launched twenty years ago, the United States passport has dropped out of the world’s top 10 most powerful passports. The US, which was the global leader in 2014, now ranks 12th alongside Malaysia, offering visa-free travel to 180 of 227 destinations.
According to the latest Henley Passport Index, which is compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Singapore continues to hold the top position with visa-free access to 193 destinations. It is followed by South Korea with 190 and Japan with 189.
Officials and analysts attribute the US decline to several recent policy shifts affecting entry permissions.
The loss of visa-free access to Brazil earlier this year, exclusion from China’s expanding list of visa-free countries, and new entry restrictions from Myanmar and Papua New Guinea have all contributed to the drop.
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In addition, Vietnam’s decision to exclude the US from its new visa-free programme and Somalia’s introduction of an eVisa system have further dented the passport’s global standing.
The United Kingdom has also seen a decline, slipping from sixth to eighth place since July—its lowest position since it topped the rankings in 2015.
According to the Henley Openness Index, which assesses how welcoming countries are to foreign nationals, the US fares poorly. While American citizens can travel to 180 destinations without a visa, only 46 nationalities are granted visa-free entry into the US, placing it 77th on the openness scale.
The data highlights a notable disparity between the US’s outbound mobility and its own visa policies. It lags behind Australia and only marginally outperforms Canada, New Zealand, and Japan in terms of balance between travel freedom and reciprocity.
In contrast, China has made substantial progress over the past decade. Since 2015, it has added 37 destinations to its visa-free list, climbing from 94th to 64th in 2025.
China now allows visa-free travel for citizens of 76 nations—30 more than the US—placing it 65th on the Henley Openness Index.
The development underscores Beijing’s increasing emphasis on global mobility and international cooperation, following a series of new visa-free agreements with Russia, the Gulf nations, several South American countries, and European partners.
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