Have passport, will travel; however, some passports benefit from visa-free access to more destinations than others. The level of “openness” a passport offers, the more potent and desirable it is, but potency rises and falls with world events and prevailing politics.
For instance, back in 2014, the American passport held the top spot on the Henley Passport Index, one of several rankings measuring passport potency. Then it dropped to 10th place and has recently fallen further to 12th place, tied with Malaysia.
The latest US slide was due to Brazil’s decision in April to withdraw visa-free access for citizens from the US, Canada and Australia due to a lack of reciprocity. And while China has been offering visa exemptions for dozens of mostly European countries, including Germany and France, it has not extended this to the US. Then there is Somalia’s launch of a new eVisa system and Vietnam’s exclusion of the US from its latest visa-free additions.
Meanwhile, in 2015, the British passport held the top spot. It dropped to sixth place, and last July its position slipped to eighth, where it’s tied with Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates.
Being demoted to ‘third country’ status by 29 EU countries after BREXIT put an end to the nonchalant journey through passport control for British passport holders. Plus, on October 12 2025, the biometric roll of the EES in the lead up to ETIAS began. This means British and other third-country nationals will have to apply and pay online for the right paperwork to enter.
The coveted top three spots on the leaderboard are now held by Asian countries: Singapore, with visa-free access to 193 destinations worldwide; South Korea, with access to 190; and Japan, with 189.
Tied in fourth place are Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland, and tied in fifth place are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index, commented:
“The declining strength of the U.S. 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.”
At the bottom of the list, in 106th place, is Afghanistan, as the passport gives visa-free access to just 24 destinations – two less than at the beginning of the year.
Syria is in 105th place (with 26 destinations) and Iraq is just ahead, with 29 destinations.
The most powerful passports for 2005 are:
1 Singapore (193 destinations)
2 South Korea (190)
3 Japan (189)
4 Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland (188)
5 Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands (187)
6 Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden (186)
7 Australia, Czech Republic, Malta, Poland (185)
8 Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (184)
9 Canada (183)
10 Latvia, Liechtenstein (182)
11 Iceland, Lithuania (181)
12 USA, Malaysia (180)
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