The power of a passport is best measured by the number of countries its holders can travel to without visas and easily cross borders around the world.

The latest edition of the Henley Passport Index brought an interesting twist, as the American passport fell out of the group of the ten strongest for the first time in its twenty-year history, while Asian passports took the leading positions.

At the top of the ranking is Singapore, whose citizens can travel visa-free to as many as 193 countries, writes CNN. It is followed by South Korea with access to 190 destinations, and third place is held by Japan with 189 countries. The United States fell to 12th position, tied with Malaysia, as their citizens can visit 180 of the total 227 monitored states and territories without visas. The index is based on data from the London company Henley & Partners and information from the International Air Transport Association.

The weakening of the American passport’s position is the result of a series of changes that have affected global entry rules in recent years. In April 2025, Brazil abolished the visa-free regime for citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia, while China and numerous other countries liberalized entry for travelers from Europe, but not from the United States. Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, and recently Somalia and Vietnam have also changed their visa policies, which further affected the American ranking. Christian H. Kaelin of Henley & Partners believes that this decline reflects broader changes in global mobility and the balance of soft power.

The Chinese passport has recorded a major jump over the past ten years, from 94th place in 2015 to 64th in 2025. This was helped by visa-free access to 37 new destinations and a series of agreements with Russia, the Gulf states, South America, and Europe. The United Arab Emirates are also among the big winners, jumping from 42nd to 8th place. At the bottom of the ranking remains Afghanistan, whose citizens can travel visa-free to only 24 states, while Syria and Iraq hold 105th and 104th position.

As CNN states, some analysts link the decline of the American passport to visa restrictions in the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as to the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration. While the passports at the top allow almost unlimited mobility, average citizens still feel the restrictions, despite the existence of investment programs such as Trump’s “gold card” option, which opens the way to more prestigious passports for the wealthy.

The Henley Passport Index is just one in a series of global indicators of travel freedom. According to Arton Capital’s Passport Index, which tracks 193 United Nations members and six territories, first place is held by the United Arab Emirates with 179 points, while Singapore and Spain share second place with 175 destinations. Croatia is in the group that shares a high position with 184 destinations together with Estonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, surpassing the United States and Malaysia.

The most powerful passports in 2025:

• Singapore (193 destinations)
• South Korea (190 destinations)
• Japan (189 destinations)
• Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland (188 destinations)
• Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands (187 destinations)
• Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden (186 destinations)
• Australia, Czech Republic, Malta, Poland (185 destinations)
• Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (184 destinations)
• Canada (183 destinations)
• Latvia, Liechtenstein (182 destinations)
• Iceland, Lithuania (181 destinations)
• United States, Malaysia (180 destinations)