According to the 2025 edition of the Henley Passport Index, Singapore has emerged as the country with the most powerful passport in the world. Singaporean citizens now enjoy visa-free access to 195 destinations, making their passport the most advantageous globally.
Henley Passport Index Rankings and Methodology
The Henley Passport Index, published by Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to rank passports. It evaluates 193 UN member states and 6 territories (including Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Kosovo, Palestinian territories, and the Vatican) based on the number of visa-free destinations they provide. Additional territories like French Polynesia and the British Virgin Islands are also included, with the total number of global destinations standing at 227.
Top-Ranked Countries in 2025
- Singapore: Visa-free access to 195 destinations, ranking 1st.
- Japan: Falls to 2nd place with access to 193 destinations.
- Third Place (192 destinations): Shared by six countries — Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and Spain.
United States Slips in Rankings
The United States, once ranked 2nd, has dropped to 9th place with visa-free access to 186 destinations. This decline reflects the country’s ongoing challenges with global mobility.
In a media statement accompanying the Henley Global Mobility Report 2025, Annie Fosheimer, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that the U.S. faces persistent setbacks in global mobility. She said, “The narrative during the 2024 presidential campaign focused on a notion of America standing alone. If the policies of tariffs and isolationism continue, as seen during the Trump administration, the U.S. is likely to fall not only relatively but also absolutely on mobility indices.”
The Gap Between Top and Bottom Ranks
The disparity in passport power remains stark.
- Afghanistan: Ranked last at 106th place, with visa-free access to only 26 destinations.
- Syria: Ranked 105th, with access to 27 destinations.
- Iraq: Ranked 104th, with access to 31 destinations.
These figures underscore the significant global inequalities in mobility rights and access, with countries at the bottom of the index facing considerable travel restrictions.