Twelve months ago, passports from six nations tied for the top honour. According to 2025 Henley and Partners rankings, one passport now trumps the rest.
The 6 million citizens of this island city-state have the globe’s most powerful passport in their hands, and the world at their feet.
Singaporeans can travel visa-free to 195 countries, setting a new record over the last year. Four of the five nations it shared the number one ranking with twelve months ago have since fallen to third place.
In second position, is Japan, where citizens have visa-free access to 193 countries. Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and Spain are welcomed without the need for visas in 192 nations.
Australia is 6th in the rankings, tied with Greece. Our blue and gold, emu-and-kangaroo-adorned passport is beaten by fellow Commonwealth nations New Zealand and the UK, which have the 5th most powerful passports.
“A seven-nation EU cohort, all with visa-free access to 191 destinations — Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden — share 4th place, while five countries — Belgium, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, and the UK — come in 5th with 190 visa-free destinations,” the 2025 Henley and Partners report states.
10-year trend: US and UK among biggest losers on list
Venezuela is the country that has fallen furthest between 2015 and 2025.
“Surprisingly, the US is the second-biggest faller plummeting seven places from 2nd to its current 9th position. Vanuatu is the third-biggest faller, losing six places from 48th to 54th position, followed by the British passport, which was top of the index in 2015 but now sits in 5th place. Completing the Top 5 losers list is Canada, which dropped three ranks over the past decade from 4th to its current 7th place,” the report states.
Annie Pforzheimeris an associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Politics contributed to the decline in the strength of the US passport, according to Pfrozheimeris.
“Even though US economic health relies heavily on immigration, tourism, and trade, voters during the 2024 presidential campaign were fed a narrative that America can (and should) stand-alone,” says Pforzheimis.
The Henley data shows that as the US passport has fallen the Chinese passport has risen in the rankings.
“China is among the biggest climbers over the past decade, ascending from 94th place in 2015 to 60th in 2025, with its visa-free score increasing by 40 destinations in that time,” the 2025 report states.
In the last 12 months, China has given an additional 29 countries visa-free entry.
“It now sits in 80th position, granting visa-free entry to a total of 58 nations as the new year commences, compared to its rival America, which ranks 84th and allows just 46 other countries access without a prior visa,” Henley advises.
“Ultimately, if tariffs and deportations are the Trump administration’s default policy tools, not only will the US continue to decline on the mobility index on a comparative basis, but it will probably do so in absolute terms as well. This trend in tandem with China’s greater openness will likely give rise to Asia’s greater soft power dominance worldwide,” says Pforzheimeris.
The rankings are calculated by Henley and Partners using data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The data is updated monthly, according to Henley. The company investigates visa-free access of 199 passports to 227 travel destinations.
“The strength of a nation’s passport has become a critical indicator of its global influence and economic potential. Governments can strategically enhance their passport power, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for their citizens and economies,” says Steffan Kraus, Henley & Partners’ COO.
“The ability to travel visa-free to a wide array of destinations is no longer merely a convenience — it’s a powerful economic tool that can drive growth, foster international cooperation, and attract foreign investment.”
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