The United States once again ranks among the world’s 10 most powerful passports
Editor’s Note
This is a recurring post, updated regularly with new information.
The United States is back in the top 10 in 2025 after falling out of the Henry Passport Index, the world’s most powerful passport ranking, for the first time in 20 years.
Henley & Partners, a London-based residency and citizenship consultancy, released the quarterly report, which scores passports based on the number of destinations their holders can travel to without a prior visa. In the latest ranking of 199 national passports, the U.S. passport jumped two places and ranked 10th. The last time the United States held the number one spot was in 2014.
According to International Air Transport Association data compiled by Henley & Partners, U.S. passport holders can travel to about 79% of the world without a visa, or 179 of 227 destinations worldwide. The recent changes in the U.S. rankings are due to a number of factors.
Uzbekistan and Bolivia have both lifted visa requirements for Americans in the past two months, but last April, Brazil revoked visa-free entry for Americans due to a lack of reciprocity. (For context, the United States allows visa-free entry to passport holders from 42 countries.) Meanwhile, China and Vietnam last year expanded visa-free access to some countries but not to the United States.
The 10 Most Powerful Passports in the World
Singapore has the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free travel to 192 of 227 destinations around the world.
South Korea and Japan tied for second place in 2026, offering visa-free entry to 188 countries. Followed by Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, the five tied for third place. These four countries can enter 186 countries visa-free.
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The top 10 most powerful passports include:
- No. 4: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway (185 visa-free countries)
- No. 5: Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates (184 visa-free countries)
- No. 6: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand and Poland (183 visa-free countries)
- No. 7: Australia, Latvia, Liechtenstein and the United Kingdom (182 visa-free countries)
- No. 8: Canada, Iceland, Lithuania (181 visa-free countries)
- No. 9: Malaysia (180 visa-free countries)
- No. 10: United States (179 visa-free countries)
Afghanistan remains the least powerful passport, offering visa-free entry to only 24 destinations.
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Editorial Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are those of the author, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
