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Not So Mighty Anymore: The US Passport

Document ties for 12th place on global list, based on visa-free access to other countries
Posted Oct 15, 2025 7:57 AM CDT
US Passport Not as Powerful as It Once Was
FILE - US passports are arranged for a photograph in Tigard, Ore., Dec. 11, 2021.   (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

The US passport, once the world's most powerful, has slipped to 12th place in the latest Henley Passport Index—its lowest ranking in two decades. The index, published by Henley & Partners and based on International Air Transport Association data, measures the number of countries a passport holder can visit without a visa. With visa-free access to 180 of 227 destinations tracked by the index, the US passport ties with Malaysia in the 12th spot, marking the first time in the 20-year history of the index that it doesn't feature in the top 10, per the Washington Post. It fell from 7th last year to 10th in July. As the new top 10 includes many ties, there are actually 36 countries ranked ahead of the US.

The list is led by Singapore, offering access to 193 countries without a visa, with South Korea (190) and Japan (189) trailing closely. Other countries ahead of the US include Germany, Austria, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Portugal, Australia, Czech Republic, Malta, Croatia, the UAE, the UK, and Canada. Henley & Partners' chairman Christian Kaelin attributes the shift to broader changes in global mobility and what he calls "soft power dynamics." "Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind," he says in a news release.

Recent US policy changes, including a more restrictive stance on immigration and visa rules, have played a role. Brazil, for example, recently revoked visa-free entry for Americans, citing a lack of reciprocal access for its citizens, per CNN. China and Vietnam have also limited visa-free travel for US nationals. According to Henley, the US grants visa-free entry to just 46 nationalities, a figure that lags behind other nations with similar passport strength.

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