US passport slips from top 10 powerful passports list for first time

New Delhi: The US passport has fallen out of the top 10 most powerful passports in the world for the first time since the Henley Passport Index was introduced twenty years ago. With visa-free travel to 180 of 227 countries, the US, which was the world leader in 2014, is now tied with Malaysia for 12th place.

With visa-free access to 193 destinations, Singapore remains in the top place, followed by South Korea with 190, and Japan with 189, according to the most recent Henley Passport Index, which is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Recent changes in access by a number of nations are the cause of the US ranking’s decline. The decline has been attributed to a number of factors, including the removal of visa-free entry to Brazil earlier this year, exclusion from China’s growing list of countries that do not require a visa, and new entry restrictions imposed by Myanmar and Papua New Guinea.

More recently, the US passport’s reputation was further damaged by Vietnam’s decision to exclude the US from its new visa-free programme and Somalia’s implementation of an eVisa system.

The UK has also suffered, dropping from sixth to eighth place since July, the lowest since it topped the index in 2015.

Only 46 nationalities are permitted entry into Washington without a visa, whereas US citizens are granted visa-free travel to 180 locations. According to the Henley Openness Index, which rates nations according to how hospitable they are to foreign tourists, this disparity puts the US in 77th place.

The US lags Australia and only marginally surpasses Canada, New Zealand, and Japan in the disparity between its own openness and its international travel privileges.

On the other hand, China has made significant strides in the last ten years. It has added 37 more destinations to its list of visa-free travel destinations, moving up from 94th in 2015 to 64th in 2025.

After allowing visa-free travel to 76 nations, 30 more than the US, China is now ranked 65th on the Henley Openness Index. Beijing’s increasing focus on global mobility and openness is demonstrated by recent visa-free agreements with Russia, the Gulf states, several South American nations, and European partners.

IANS