Where US Passport Ranks Among World's Most Powerful Travel Documents

Image: U.S. passport sitting atop an American flag. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/InterestingClip)
Image: U.S. passport sitting atop an American flag. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/InterestingClip)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 9:25 AM ET, Tue July 22, 2025

The U.S. passport continues to slide on the list of the world's most powerful travel documents, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.

Based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), the index compares 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations and is updated monthly.

The latest iteration ranks the U.S. passport 10th, tying it with Iceland and Lithuania. The American travel document currently offers visa-free travel to 182 destinations around the world.

While that's still awfully powerful, the U.S. passport ranked number one in the world last decade and has been sliding ever since, now trailing more than 30 other countries. It signals a concerning downward trend.

Multiple factors are considered when determining a passport's overall strength and thus the places its holders can visit, including a country's economic power and diplomatic relations.

World's Most Powerful Passports

Asia continues to dominate the index, with Singapore ranking number one, offering access to 193 destinations. Japan and South Korea are tied for second, with 190 places open to passport holders.

Europe is also well-represented as seven countries are tied for third, including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain. Those citizens can visit 189 destinations without a visa.

The United Kingdom (sixth) and Canada (tied for eighth) also rank inside the top 10 this summer.

World's Most Limited Passports

Afghanistan ranks last on the latest Henley Passport Index, granting holders visa-free access to only 25 destinations.

Syria (27) and Iraq (30) also fare poorly, with Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, Nepal and Libya among the bottom 10.


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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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