According to the Henley Passport Index report released this week, the American passport fell to 12th place globally for 2025, the first time in 20 years it dropped out of the top 10. The United States tied with Malaysia, with both passports allowing visa-free access to 180 of 227 destinations.
At the top were Singapore with 193 destinations, South Korea with 190, and Japan with 189. Five European countries—Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland—tied with access to 188 destinations. The Netherlands tied for fifth with Belgium, France, and Austria at 187. Canada ranked ninth with access to 183 destinations. The United Kingdom fell to eighth, its lowest position on the index after dropping two places since July 2023. The United Arab Emirates climbed 34 places in the past decade to eighth.
Analysts cited a decline in visa-free access since the United States ranked first in 2014, along with changes in reciprocity and immigration rules. Brazil ended visa-free entry for American, Canadian, and Australian citizens. Vietnam removed the United States from its visa-waiver list. China expanded visa-free access for many European countries but not the United States. Policy shifts in Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Somalia, and Vietnam narrowed options for American travelers, and Somalia’s e-visa system also contributed to the decline.
The Henley Passport Index used data from the International Air Transport Association and ranked passports by the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa, assessing the status of visa-free access across 199 countries.
“The decline in the strength of the U.S. passport over the past decade is evidence of a shift in the global balance of power and in international mobility dynamics. Countries that embrace openness and cooperation are advancing steadily, while countries that rely on past privileges are being left behind,” said Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, according to USA Today.
The United States also lagged on migration openness. In the Henley Openness Index, the country ranked 77th, allowing visa-free entry to citizens of 46 countries.
China moved in the opposite direction. The Chinese passport rose from 94th in 2015 to 64th, which the report attributed to new visa agreements with Russia, Gulf states, South American countries, and parts of Europe under a policy of increased openness.
At the bottom of the index were Afghanistan at 106th with access to 24 destinations, Syria at 105th with 26, and Iraq at 104th with 29. The gap between the strongest and weakest passports measured 169 destinations.
The change in the US ranking affected tourists, entrepreneurs, students, and workers who now needed visas for places that once allowed visa-free entry. Travelers faced more planning, paperwork, and compliance with new entry policies. Henley & Partners reported a 67% rise in applications by Americans for alternative residency or second citizenship by the end of the third quarter of 2025 compared with 2024. “In the coming years, more and more Americans will acquire additional citizenships in any way possible,” said Peter J. Spiro of Temple University Beasley School of Law, according to USA Today. He also said “Multiple citizenship is becoming normalized in American society,” according to USA Today.
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