The world’s most powerful passport has been unveiled in the latest quarterly ranking — and unfortunately, it’s not the United States.
The Henley Passport Index ranks global passports based on how many destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa.
Using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the index analyzed 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. Singapore claimed the top spot, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations worldwide.
South Korea followed in second place with 190 destinations, and Japan ranked third with 189.
Popular European countries — Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland — shared fourth place with 188 destinations.
Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden rounded out the top five, each granting access to 186 destinations.
For the first time in the index’s 20-year history, the United States dropped out of the top 10, landing in 12th place alongside Malaysia, as citizens of both nations can travel visa-free to 180 destinations.
While 12th place may not seem disastrous, 36 countries now outrank the U.S., since tied nations are counted as one in the rankings.
The strength of the U.S. passport continues to decline.
Just over a decade ago, in 2014, the United States shared the No. 1 spot with the United Kingdom in the global passport rankings.
Since then, however, the U.S. passport has experienced a steady downward trend, gradually losing its top-tier status year after year.
The United States isn’t the only country to lose ground — last year, the United Kingdom slipped from sixth to eighth place, tying with Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Arab Emirates, each offering visa-free access to 184 destinations.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Afghanistan ranks 106th, with its citizens able to enter only 24 destinations without a visa. Syria follows in 105th place with 26 destinations, and Iraq comes next in 104th place with 29.
The Henley Passport Index evaluates 199 passports and 227 travel destinations to determine global passport power.
Here are the world’s most powerful passports for 2025:
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Singapore — 193 destinations
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South Korea — 190
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Japan — 189
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Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland — 188
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Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands — 187
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Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden — 186
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Australia, Czechia, Malta, Poland — 185
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Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom — 184
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Canada — 183
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Latvia, Liechtenstein — 182
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Iceland, Lithuania — 181
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Malaysia, United States — 180
