Singapore tops Henley Passport Index as US slips out of top 10: Why American passport is losing its global edge

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The once-dominant United States passport has suffered a symbolic setback. For the first time in two decades, it has fallen out of the world’s top ten most powerful passports, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index. Ranked 12th globally and tied with Malaysia, the American passport now provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 180 destinations.

Once seen as the ultimate emblem of freedom and global influence, the American passport’s decline reflects a shifting international balance of power. Analysts say the new rankings highlight how Asia-Pacific countries are reshaping global travel trends, gaining both diplomatic leverage and mobility advantages once reserved for the West.

Asia takes the lead

The latest Henley Index confirms the steady dominance of Asian nations in global travel freedom. Singapore leads the list with visa-free access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea at 190 and Japan at 189. Traditional European heavyweights such as Germany, Italy, and Spain continue to hold strong, rounding out the top five.

By contrast, the United States has slipped behind smaller yet increasingly influential nations. Experts say this is a result of Washington’s rigid visa policies, waning reciprocity, and reluctance to liberalize entry rules for citizens of other countries.

In recent months, Brazil reinstated visa requirements for American travellers after the US failed to extend similar privileges to Brazilians. China and Vietnam have expanded their own visa-free lists but excluded the United States. Even smaller countries such as Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, and Somalia have adopted new e-visa systems that limit automatic entry for American visitors.

The reciprocity problem

The Henley Openness Index highlights a deeper imbalance. While Americans can travel visa-free to 180 countries, the United States grants the same privilege to only 46 nationalities. This places it 77th globally in terms of openness, behind most developed nations.

This “reciprocal gap” has become a defining feature of US travel policy. As Washington continues to tighten entry restrictions, more countries are responding in kind. Only Australia ranks lower when it comes to reciprocity.

China’s rise in “travel diplomacy”

While the United States loses ground, China is quietly building momentum. In 2015, the Chinese passport ranked 94th in the world. A decade later, it stands at 64th, offering visa-free access to 76 destinations, an increase of 37.

Beijing’s strategy is not limited to economics or security. Through what analysts describe as “travel diplomacy,” China has been expanding its influence by signing mutual visa-free agreements across Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. A recent agreement with Russia has added further weight to this approach.

China now offers visa-free entry to 30 more countries than the United States, marking a striking reversal of global travel influence that underscores the shifting balance of soft power.

Americans seek alternatives

The weakening of the US passport is also driving behavioural change among wealthy Americans. Henley & Partners reports that applications for investment migration programmes, which allow individuals to obtain second citizenship or residency through financial investment, have risen by 67 percent year-on-year as of the third quarter of 2025.

Experts say this trend reflects a growing desire among affluent Americans to regain the travel freedom they once took for granted and to hedge against the growing complexity of global mobility.

For decades, carrying a US passport meant near-unrestricted access to the world. Today, that privilege is slipping, replaced by a new era in which Asia’s diplomatic agility and global partnerships have redrawn the map of travel power. The American passport, once a universal key, now opens fewer doors — and that says much about the changing world order.