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The Henley Passport Index reveals that Singapore has the most powerful passport, while the US has fallen out of the top 10 for the first time in 20 years, reflecting a shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics. European countries continue to dominate, and China's passport power has increased significantly, whereas the US's declining passport strength is leading to a surge in Americans seeking alternative citizenship options.
The US has dropped to 10th place in the 2025 Henley Passport Index, marking its lowest position in 20 years, with Singapore holding the top spot for the most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations. The index highlights the increasing competitiveness of global mobility, with Asian and European countries leading, while the US faces new visa fees that could impact international travel.
Four European countries - France, Germany, Italy, and Spain - have joined Singapore in sharing the top spot for the world's most powerful passports, according to the Henley Passport Index. These countries can enter 194 destinations without a pre-approved visa. European passports dominate the top 10 rankings, with Finland, Sweden, and South Korea in second place, and Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands in third. The index ranks passports based on the number of visa-free destinations, with Afghanistan holding the weakest passport and having visa-free access to only 28 countries.
The Henley Passport Index for 2024 reveals that France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain share the top spot with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 194 destinations, marking the highest number in the index's 19-year history. The United Arab Emirates has seen the most significant rise in the past decade, climbing to 11th position. Another index by Arton Capital also ranks the UAE at the top, with Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands in second place. The global mobility gap between top and bottom-ranked countries has widened, with the average number of visa-free destinations nearly doubling since 2006.
Singapore has claimed the top spot in the 2023 Henley Passport Index, dethroning Japan as the country with the most powerful passport. Singaporean citizens now enjoy visa-free access to 192 out of 227 destinations surveyed by Henley. Japan dropped to third place behind Germany, Italy, and Spain, all of which have visa-free access to 190 destinations. The United States continues to slide down the rankings, now ranking eighth with 184 visa-free destinations. Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the list with only 27 visa-free destinations. The Henley Openness Index also highlights the disparity between countries that allow visa-free access for their citizens and those that reciprocate the same openness.