US passport is losing its sheen. Heres why
The US passport has plummeted to 12th position on the Henley Passport Index, losing its former top spot. This decline reflects a significant shift in global mobility and soft power, driven by the US's low openness to foreign visitors and retaliatory visa policies from countries like Brazil and Vietnam. Singapore now leads, emphasising the growing importance of reciprocity in passport strength.
New Delhi: The US passport, which once dominated the Henley Passport Index, has lost its former prestige and sheen. For the first time in the history of the Henley Passport Index, the US passport has slipped out of the world’s top 10 most powerful passports. In 2014, it was ranked number 1. But according to the latest index, the US now stands at the 12th position, tied with Malaysia, offering visa-free access to 180 destinations.
The latest ranking places Singapore at the top, with visa-free access to 193 destinations. It is followed by South Korea with 190 and Japan with 189. The index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Why has it dropped to the 12th place
There are a host of reasons behind the US passport losing its power and shine. The decline represents a symbolic shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics, as Asian nations now top rankings that were once dominated by Western countries. The trend highlights that the geopolitical landscape is changing. And it shows that a passport’s strength is growingly being determined by a country’s openness and reciprocal travel arrangements instead of its traditional global power.
Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, pointed out: "Nations embracing openness are surging ahead, while those resting on past privileges are being left behind.”
Singapore, South Korea and Japan hold the top positions, which shows their openness and reciprocity. Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland also continue to hold prominent spots in the top 10, highlighting their steady diplomatic ties and liberal travel policies. The UK passport also dropped to its lowest spot, falling from 6th to 8th place since July, despite having ranked first in the index in 2015.
The Trump administration has made multiple changes in visa access. Even though US citizens get visa-free access to 180 destinations, the US allows only 46 nationalities to enter without a visa. This places the country 77th on the Henley Openness Index, which measures how open countries are to foreign visitors.
As a retaliatory move, in April 2024, Brazil reinstated visa requirements for US travellers after the US did not give the same privilege to Brazilians. Likewise, Vietnam and China, which have both expanded visa-free access for several countries, excluded the US. These went a long way in the US passport's decline. Further adjustments by Papua New Guinea and Myanmar dropped the ranking even more. More recently, Somalia’s rollout of eVisas and Vietnam’s move to leave US citizens out of its new visa-free scheme are key factors that have pushed the passport out of the top 10.
The huge chasm between the US’s visa-free access and its openness to foreign visitors is one of the largest globally—ranked just after Australia and slightly ahead of Canada, New Zealand, and Japan.
Where does India stand?
India ranks 80th in the index, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 62 destinations. Even though its rank is still modest, the country’s position has steadily improved in recent years as it expands bilateral travel ties with countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.