For the first time since the Henley Passport Index was created 20 years ago, the United States is no longer ranked amongst the world’s Top 10 most powerful passports. Once unrivalled at No.1 in 2014, the American passport has now slumped to 12th place, tied with Malaysia, with visa-free access to only 180 of 227 destinations worldwide. The Asian trifecta of Singapore (access to 193 destinations visa-free), South Korea (190 destinations), and Japan (189 destinations) now occupy the top three spots on the index powered by exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ranking all the world’s passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa.
The decline of the US passport and its most recent drop from 10th to 12th position on the index has been driven by a series of access changes. The loss of visa-free access to Brazil in April due to a lack of reciprocity, and the US being left out of China’s rapidly expanding visa-free list, marked the start of its downward slide. This was followed by adjustments from Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, which further eroded the US score while boosting other passports. Most recently, Somalia’s launch of a new eVisa system and Vietnam’s decision to exclude the US from its latest visa-free additions delivered the final blow, pushing it out of the Top 10.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index, says these seemingly small changes have had outsized consequences — underscoring just how finely balanced the global mobility landscape has become. “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.”
Similarly, the UK passport has fallen to its lowest-ever position on the index, slipping two places since July, from 6th to 8th place, despite also once holding the top spot (in 2015).
Visa Reciprocity Matters More
While American passport holders can currently access 180 destinations visa-free, the US itself allows only 46 other nationalities to enter without a visa. This puts it way down in 77th place on the Henley Openness Index, which ranks all 199 countries and territories worldwide according to the number of nationalities they permit entry to without a prior visa.
This disparity between visa free access and openness is one of the widest globally — second only to Australia, and just ahead of Canada, New Zealand, and Japan. Interestingly, all five nations with the biggest gaps between the travel freedom they enjoy and the openness they offer have either stagnated or declined in their passport power ranking over the past decade.
Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, notes that America’s retreat is rooted in politics. “Even before a second Trump presidency, US policy had turned inward. That isolationist mindset is now being reflected in America’s loss of passport power.”
This more insular stance has hit developing nations particularly hard. President Trump has suspended visa issuance to travelers from 12 nations across Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, imposed heavy restrictions on an additional seven, and threatened bans on up to 36 more, the majority of them in Africa. A visa bond of USD 5,000 to 15,000 now applies to seven African nations, refundable only upon departure. Plans are also underway to introduce a blanket USD 250 ‘visa integrity fee’ for most non-immigrant visa applications, while the cost of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) nearly doubled on 30 September 2025, from USD 21 to USD 40.
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