US Passport Drops Out of Global Top 10 as Asian Nations Dominate Henley Passport Index 2025

US Passport Falls Out of Global Top 10 While Asian Nations Lead

For the first time, the United States has dropped out of the world's top 10 most powerful passports.

According to the latest Henley Passport Index, which evaluates how many countries travelers can visit without requiring a visa, the US passport now ranks 12th globally, tied with Malaysia, offering visa-free access to 180 out of 227 destinations worldwide.

This marks a significant decline from last year's seventh place position. The US passport, which held the top spot in 2014, had already slipped to tenth position in July this year.

The 2025 rankings show Asian countries dominating the top positions. Singapore leads with visa-free access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea with 190 and Japan with 189, creating what experts call an Asian "trifecta" at the summit of global passport power.

Christian H Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners and creator of the index, noted: "The declining strength of the US passport over the past decade is more than just a reshuffle in rankings - it signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics. Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind."

Several factors contributed to the US passport's declining position. In April, Brazil revoked visa-free entry for US, Canadian, and Australian travelers due to lack of reciprocal treatment. Meanwhile, China has relaxed entry requirements for numerous European countries, including Germany and France, but not for the United States.

Other nations like Papua New Guinea and Myanmar have modified their visa policies in ways that benefited other countries' rankings while negatively impacting the US position. The final factors in the US ranking decline were Somalia's introduction of an eVisa system and Vietnam's decision to exclude the US from its latest visa-free entry provisions.

The stricter immigration and travel policies implemented during the Trump administration may also have contributed to this decline. Henley & Partners emphasized that reciprocity plays a crucial role in these rankings. While Americans can enter 180 destinations without visas, the US itself offers visa-free entry to just 46 nationalities.

The top passports in the 2025 rankings are:

1. Singapore - 193 destinations

2. South Korea - 190

3. Japan - 189

4. Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland - 188

5. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands - 187

6. Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden - 186

7. Australia, Czech Republic, Malta, Poland - 185

8. Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, UAE, UK - 184

9. Canada - 183

10. Latvia, Liechtenstein - 182

11. Iceland, Lithuania - 181

12. USA, Malaysia - 180

Meanwhile, India's passport has also fallen in the rankings, dropping to 85th position with visa-free access to 57 countries, down from last year's 80th place with access to 62 destinations.