(UNITED STATES) For the first time since the Henley Passport Index began 20 years ago, the U.S. passport has dropped out of the world’s top 10. As of October 2025, the Henley Passport Index places the United States at 12th, tied with Malaysia, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 180 destinations.
It is a symbolic fall for a travel document that held joint first place with the United Kingdom in 2014 and ranked 7th as recently as 2024. The shift follows a year of steady declines: from 9th in January to 10th in July and now to 12th in October.
Current global leaders and methodology
The latest table is led by:
– Singapore — visa-free access to 193 destinations
– South Korea — 190
– Japan — 189
A cluster of European passports — Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland — each stands at 188.
The Henley Passport Index, widely cited by governments and industry, tracks how many places a passport holder can enter without a prior visa. While other rankings may place the United States higher (for example, the Guide Passport Ranking lists it at 10th), Henley’s list is often treated as the benchmark by business travelers, airlines, and policy watchers.
What the new ranking shows
Henley’s data points to a broader change in global mobility: countries that expand reciprocal travel rights and welcome more visitors are rising, while nations that restrict entry or do not offer visa-free access widely are sliding.
The U.S. position reflects both trends:
– Several countries added visa-free partners but did not include the United States.
– A few countries rolled back U.S. access after reciprocity talks stalled.
Key changes this year include:
– Brazil ended visa-free entry for U.S. citizens in April 2025, citing lack of reciprocity.
– China and Vietnam expanded visa-free lists for multiple countries but left the United States off those lists.
– The U.S. ESTA fee nearly doubled in September 2025, rising from $21 to $40, increasing the cost for visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries.
The Henley Openness Index further highlights how tight U.S. entry rules look from abroad. The United States allows only 46 nationalities visa-free entry, placing it 77th on openness — just ahead of Iraq.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the combination of limited inward openness and fewer reciprocal deals is now showing up clearly in outbound travel freedom for U.S. citizens.
The combination of limited inward openness and fewer reciprocal deals is now showing up clearly in outbound travel freedom for U.S. citizens.
Why the U.S. slipped
Policy choices matter for reciprocity. During the Trump administration, Washington introduced stricter measures affecting both legal and illegal immigration, including suspending visa issuance to several countries and tightening various travel categories. That policy direction, and continuity in some areas afterwards, made it harder to secure mutual visa-free deals in several regions.
Two other factors weigh on the U.S. passport’s reach:
– Exclusion from new visa-free schemes: When countries create trial programs for favored partners (for example, China or Vietnam), they consider the other side’s current visa rules. If U.S. policy is seen as less open, it reduces the chance of inclusion.
– Costs and friction: Travel-linked fees such as ESTA shape perceptions of fairness and reciprocity. Higher costs may not directly change Henley’s count, but they affect the climate for negotiations.
The State Department says it remains confident in the strength of the U.S. passport and stresses that different indexes use different methods. It also points to security and partnerships that make travel reliable even when rankings shift. Still, in the Henley Passport Index — the most frequently cited across global mobility circles — the move to 12th marks a clear turn.
Impact on travelers and the market
For many U.S. citizens, the practical effects are concrete:
– A few trips may now require a visa that was not needed before — Brazil is the clearest example in 2025.
– The absence from visa-free expansions means more planning, more documents, and sometimes more cost.
– Families booking flights on short notice may now face consulate appointments or online applications with processing time.
Businesses also feel the impact:
– Sales teams, consultants, and engineers often rely on quick travel; each added visa step can delay deals, complicate schedules, and add expense.
– Study-abroad programs and research visits can face similar friction.
Some Americans are seeking workarounds:
– Firms such as Henley & Partners report a 67% rise in applications for alternative residence or citizenship options by Q3 2025 compared with all of 2024.
– VisaVerge.com notes this pattern tends to spike when major visa-free routes tighten.
At the same time, many destinations remain open to U.S. travelers on arrival, and the U.S. passport still provides access to 180 places without a prior visa. The shift is about relative position: as Asia and parts of Europe broaden their visa-free networks, the United States has not kept pace on reciprocity or openness metrics.
Travelers should check entry rules before booking. Where an electronic pre-travel permission is needed, the process and cost differ from a traditional visa but still require lead time. For example, foreign visitors to the United States from Visa Waiver Program countries must apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)) on the official site: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/, which increased to $40 in September 2025.
Snapshot timeline
The story of the U.S. passport’s decline in the Henley Passport Index can be seen in five snapshots:
- 2014: Joint 1st with the UK, roughly 174 destinations
- 2024: 7th, 180 destinations
- January 2025: 9th, 180 destinations
- July 2025: 10th, 180 destinations
- October 2025: 12th, 180 destinations
That flat destination count for the U.S. against rising totals for leaders like Singapore (193) shows the gap opening. In short: more countries are saying yes to each other, and not as often to the United States.
What could change the ranking
Meaningful movement would likely come from:
– Targeted reciprocity deals with specific partners
– A wider stance on visa-free entry into the United States
Even a handful of additions on either side can nudge rankings. The current trend reflects policy choices made over years. As countries such as South Korea and Japan lock in regional and bilateral agreements, they gain steady ground. Without parallel steps, the U.S. passport remains at 12th on the Henley table.
Practical advice
For travelers:
– Check entry rules early and budget for fees.
– Build extra time for visas where rules changed, especially for travel to Brazil.
– Watch for announcements from countries like China and Vietnam, where a new visa-free window could appear on short notice but is not guaranteed.
For employers:
– Update travel policies and briefings to prevent last-minute surprises.
– Verify entry requirements for every stop, even if previous visits were visa-free.
While some indexes may still list the United States in the top 10, the Henley Passport Index is the one airlines, airports, and many consulates track most closely.
The United States once sat at the very top. Today, it is 12th. Whether that position changes soon will depend on how far Washington and partner governments go to restore reciprocity, widen visa-free lists, and rebuild the practical trust that keeps borders open for ordinary travelers.
This Article in a Nutshell
In October 2025 the Henley Passport Index placed the U.S. passport 12th worldwide, tied with Malaysia, granting access to 180 destinations without a prior visa. This marks the first time the U.S. has fallen out of Henley’s top 10 since the index began, following a steady slide through 2025. Contributing factors include Brazil’s April 2025 end to visa-free entry for U.S. citizens, China and Vietnam excluding the U.S. from new visa-free lists, and the near doubling of the ESTA fee to $40 in September 2025. The Henley Openness Index highlights U.S. limits: only 46 nationalities enter visa-free, placing the U.S. 77th in openness. Practical effects include new visa requirements for some trips, more planning and costs for travelers and businesses, and a rise in interest for alternative residency or citizenship options. Policy choices on reciprocity and visa openness will determine whether the U.S. can regain ground in future rankings.
