Since Henley & Partners began publishing the Henley Passport Index in 2006 (initially under a different name), the U.S. passport has declined to its lowest ranking ever on the list. In 2014, the U.S. passport was ranked as the strongest in the world. Now, just over a decades later, it’s fallen to 10th place.
Beginning all those years ago, the index has utilized International Air Transport Authority (IATA) data, in addition to in-house research and online data, to determine the world’s strongest passports off of visa policies. The entire index is updated monthly and takes a look at 199 different passports and 227 travel destinations. According to Henley & Partners, the index is “the most robust and reliable index of its kind.”
So what makes a passport strong? Well, the amount of destinations its holder has visa-free access to is a main consideration.
“Your passport is no longer just a travel document — it’s a reflection of your country’s diplomatic influence and international relationships,” Henley & Partners CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen.
For example, Singapore holds the strongest passport in the 2025 ranking, with access to 193 destinations. The U.S. passport only has to access to 182 as of 2025.
10 strongest passports in the world right now
- Singapore (#1) – access to 193 destinations
- Japan (#2) – access to 190 destinations
- South Korea (#2) – access to 190 destinations
- Denmark (#3) – access to 189 destinations
- Finland (#3) – access to 189 destinations
- France (#3) – access to 189 destinations
- Germany (#3) – access to 189 destinations
- Ireland (#3) – access to 189 destinations
- Italy (#3) – access to 189 destinations
- Spain (#3) – access to 189 destinations
- Austria (#4) – access to 188 destinations
- Belgium (#4) – access to 188 destinations
- Luxembourg (#4) – access to 188 destinations
- Netherlands (#4) – access to 188 destinations
- Norway (#4) – access to 188 destinations
- Portugal (#4) – access to 188 destinations
- Sweden (#4) – access to 188 destinations
- Greece (#5) – access to 187 destinations
- New Zealand (#5) – access to 187 destinations
- Switzerland (#5) – access to 187 destinations
- United Kingdom (#6) – access to 186 destinations
- Australia (#7) – access to 185 destinations
- Czechia (#7) – access to 185 destinations
- Hungary (#7) – access to 185 destinations
- Malta (#7) – access to 185 destinations
- Poland (#7) – access to 185 destinations
- Canada (#8) – access to 184 destinations
- Estonia (#8) – access to 184 destinations
- United Arab Emirates (#8) – access to 184 destinations
- Croatia (#9) – access to 183 destinations
- Latvia (#9) – access to 183 destinations
- Slovakia (#9) – access to 183 destinations
- Iceland (#10) – access to 182 destinations
- Lithuania (#10) – access to 182 destinations
- United States (#10) – access to 182 destinations
Learn more at Henley & Partners’ website.
