United States falls behind in passport rankings of global mobility
**Henley Passport Index 2025: Top 10 Most Powerful Passports**
The latest Henley Passport Index, which ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa, has been released. Here are the top 10 most powerful passports for 2025:
| **Rank** | **Country/Region** | **Visa-Free Destinations** | |:--------:|:------------------------------|:-------------------------:| | 1 | Singapore | 193 | | 2 | Japan, South Korea | 190 | | 3 | Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain | 189 | | 4 | Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden | 188 | | 5 | Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland | 187 | | 6 | Czech Republic, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland | 186 | | 7 | Israel, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates | 185 | | 8 | Canada, Estonia, United Arab Emirates (Estonia and UAE also rank here)[2] | 184 | | 9 | Not explicitly listed in available sources | Likely 183 | | 10 | Iceland, Lithuania, United States | 182 |
**Key Observations**
- **Singapore**’s passport is the most powerful in the world, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations[3]. - **Japan** and **South Korea** are tied for second place, each granting access to 190 destinations[1][3]. - **Seven European countries** share third place, each with visa-free access to 189 destinations: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain[1][3]. - **Canada** ranks eighth with 184 destinations, while the **United States** has dropped to tenth place—its lowest in 20 years—with access to 182 destinations, sharing the spot with Iceland and Lithuania[1][2]. - **Asian and European nations** continue to dominate the top tier of the index, with New Zealand as the only non-Asian/European country in the top five[3]. - There is some overlap in rankings due to countries sharing the same number of visa-free destinations; for example, the United Arab Emirates and Estonia both appear at eighth place with Canada[2].
**Summary Table**
| **Rank** | **Country/Region** | **Destinations** | |:--------:|:-------------------------------------------|:----------------:| | 1 | Singapore | 193 | | 2 | Japan, South Korea | 190 | | 3 | Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain | 189 | | 4 | Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden | 188 | | 5 | Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland | 187 | | 6 | Czech Republic, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland | 186 | | 7 | Israel, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates | 185 | | 8 | Canada, Estonia, United Arab Emirates | 184 | | 9 | Not explicitly listed in available sources | Likely 183 | | 10 | Iceland, Lithuania, United States | 182 |
**Note:** Ninth place is not explicitly named in the most recent detailed sources, but the ranking immediately above (seventh) and below (tenth) suggest it is held by countries with visa-free access to approximately 183 destinations.
These rankings reflect the growing dominance of Asian and European passports in global mobility and underscore the relative decline of the US passport, which has reached its lowest-ever ranking on the index[1][2]. The Henley Passport Index tracks the global freedom of movement for holders of 199 passports to 227 countries and territories around the world, using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Meanwhile, according to Arton's Global Passport Power Rank 2025, Spain holds the second place with a score of 176, while Europe holds sway over the fourth position, which belongs to seven countries: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, all enjoying visa-free access to 188 destinations. Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Canada, Estonia, and the United Arab Emirates are all tied at No. 7 and No. 8.
- The travel news of the latest Henley Passport Index shows that the Singapore passport is the most powerful globally, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations.
- The lifestyle ranking of the Arton's Global Passport Power Rank 2025 places Spain in second position with a score of 176, while seven European countries share fourth place, each with visa-free access to 188 destinations.
