US Drops Out of world’s Most Powerful Passport Top 10 List For the First Time

CNN recently covered updates to the rankings of the world’s most powerful passports, shedding light on shifting trends in global mobility and visa access. While the article is part of CNN’s travel news coverage, it draws heavily from Henley & Partners’ Passport Index, which is widely cited in global mobility analyses.

According to the latest data, Singapore retains the crown as having the most powerful passport, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 193 destinations out of a possible 227. Close behind, Japan and South Korea share second place, each granting access to 190 destinations. Several European nations (Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain) jointly rank in the next tier with 189 visa-free destinations.

The United States, historically a passport powerhouse, has seen a decline in its relative standing. In the 2025 rankings, it fell to 10th place, tying with Iceland and Lithuania in some metrics. The passport now grants 182 destinations visa-free access, reflecting the impact of stricter visa policies and shifting diplomatic relations.

The report also emphasizes regional trends: Asian countries are dominating the upper echelons of the index. Singapore’s continued lead reinforces the region’s growing mobility influence. Also notable is the rise of the UAE, whose passport climbed into the Top 10, now ranked 8th globally.

At the bottom end, Afghanistan remains the least powerful passport, granting access to only 25 destinations visa-free.  The widening gap between top and bottom underscores stark global mobility inequalities.

The methodology centers on counting how many destinations a passport holder can enter without a visa (or with visa-on-arrival), using data from IATA’s Timatic system. The index is updated periodically to reflect diplomatic agreements, changes in visa policy, and evolving global mobility conditions.

CNN’s coverage places this ranking shift into broader narratives: that traditional mobility leaders (like the U.S. and parts of Europe) are ceding ground, while nations with proactive visa diplomacy and investor mobility strategies are gaining influence. The drop in U.S. ranking, for example, is tied to tightened visa requirements, changes in reciprocity, and more scrutiny on travelers.

Overall, the piece illustrates how a seemingly technical index reflects deeper geopolitical, diplomatic, and social dynamics in who gets to move freely around the globe.

The most powerful passports for 2025

Why It Matters

• Mobility as soft power
  — Countries with powerful passports project influence, trust, and preferential diplomatic relationships.
• Inequality of movement rights
  — The disparity between top and bottom passports spotlights how citizenship deeply affects one’s global opportunities.
• Policy feedback loops
  — Nations can gain or lose mobility ranking through visa diplomacy, treaty-making, or bilateral agreements—thus policy choices directly impact citizens’ freedom.
• Impact on migration / dual citizenship demand
  — Citizens of countries with weaker passports may increasingly seek second citizenships or investment migration paths to access greater mobility.
• Traveler decision-making
  — For business, tourism, education, or migration, passport strength can influence where people choose to live, invest, or travel.

Key Social Outcome

• Heightened pressure for mobility reform & citizenship equity
  As more people see how drastically their passport limits their movement, public awareness and demand may grow for reforms—visa liberalization, stronger consular diplomacy, or even reforms in citizenship laws. This could fuel social movements, advocacy groups, and public pressure on governments to negotiate more open travel regimes, especially for historically marginalized or restricted nations.