American passport slips to historic low: Henley & Partners

November 7, 2025

Singapore first made the number one spot on the list in 2017. Image credit: Henley & Partners

The United States no longer ranks among the world’s 10 most powerful passports, according to the latest report from U.K-based investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners.

Once unrivaled at No. 1 in 2014, the American passport has slipped to 12th place, tied with Malaysia, offering visa-free access to 180 of 227 destinations worldwide. Singapore, South Korea and Japan now hold the top three positions, underscoring Asia’s dominance in global mobility.

“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,” said Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, creator of the Henley Passport Index and chairman of Henley & Partners, in a statement.

“Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind.”

The 2025 Henley Passport Index covers 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations, using a mix of research provided by the International Air Transport Authority, open-source online data and in-house findings. Each passport is ranked, receiving a point for every country that allows visa-free travel.

Changing tides
The U.S. passport’s decline, from 10th to 12th place, stems from a series of access losses, including the revocation of visa-free entry to Brazil in April of this year and the U.S.’s exclusion from China’s expanding visa-free list. Additional changes by Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Somalia and Vietnam further eroded its score.

The company reports that applications from U.S. citizens for investment migration programs in 2025 are 67 percent higher than the year prior. Image credit: VistaJet

“Even before a second Trump presidency, US policy had turned inward,” said Annie Pforzheimer, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, in a statement.

“That isolationist mindset is now being reflected in America’s loss of passport power.”

As American passport power wanes, more U.S. citizens are seeking secondary citizenships. The company reports that applications from Americans for investment migration programs in 2025 are already 67 percent higher than last year.

“In the coming years, more Americans will be acquiring additional citizenship in whatever way they can,” said professor Peter J. Spiro of Temple University Law School, in a statement.

“Multiple citizenship is being normalized in American society,” professor Spiro said. “While it may be a bit of an exaggeration, as one social media poster recently put it, dual citizenship is the new American dream.”

Alongside the decline in the U.S. passport's power, the United Kingdom has also reached its lowest-ever standing, slipping from sixth to eighth despite once topping the index in 2015.

Global picture
Beyond visa-free privileges, the company utilizes an Openness Index, which reveals a widening divide between countries’ outbound and inbound policies. The U.S., for example, offers visa-free entry to just 46 nationalities, ranking 77th in openness.

Other developed nations, including Australia, Canada and Japan, also score low, suggesting that global influence now depends as much on welcoming others as on mobility abroad.

By contrast, China has leveraged openness as a tool of diplomacy. Over the past decade, it has climbed from 94th to 64th on the Henley Passport Index, while expanding visa-free access to 76 countries, 30 more than the U.S. and one more than last quarter (see story).

China has also signed a variety of reciprocal agreements with nations across Asia, Europe and South America.

“Trump’s return to power has brought fresh trade conflicts that weaken America’s mobility, while China’s strategic openness boosts its global influence,” said Dr. Tim Klatte, partner at Grant Thornton China, in a statement.

“These diverging paths will reshape economic and travel dynamics worldwide.”

OTB Group team members and government officials were present at the headquarters’ inauguration in China. Image credit: OTB Group

In the last year, China has seen a burst of activity in the luxury market from brands such as Italian luxury conglomerate OTB Group (see story), French fashion house Louis Vuitton (see story) and French automaker Bugatti (see story).

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