The most powerful passports of 2025: The US and the UK fall, while India rises

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Singapore has the world's strongest passport — again, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.

The ranking, released Tuesday, shows the tiny nation-state retaining the apical spot successful the index, aft it broke a six-way necktie for the accolade earlier this year.

In 2024, Singapore shared the apical ranking with Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

The latest ranking shows Japan and South Korea tied for 2nd place, with the different erstwhile No. 1 contenders tied for 3rd spot with Denmark, Finland and Ireland.

The Henley Passport Index is simply a wide followed ranking of planetary passports, which assesses passport spot by 1 metric — the fig of destinations holders tin sojourn without needing to get a anterior visa. The scale ranks countries according to information provided by the International Air Transport Association, it said.

The ranking focuses chiefly connected easiness of travel, portion different ranking intimately monitored by CNBC Travel, the Nomad Passport Index, ranks passports by 5 criteria, including taxation, and is much focused connected planetary citizenship.

Henley's latest ranking shows the U.S. passport slipping to 10th spot from 9th.The United Kingdom's passport besides moved down the list, landing successful sixth spot from fifth, it showed.

This represents a continuation of a "long-term downward trend" for the 2 countries — some of which were erstwhile considered the astir almighty passports successful the world, according to Henley & Partners.

"Notably, the U.S. is present connected the brink of exiting the Top 10 altogether for the archetypal clip successful the index's 20-year history," the institution said successful a statement.

The apical 10 database shows a ranking mostly dominated by European countries, but led by 3 cardinal Asian economies:

1 Singapore
2. Japan
2. South Korea
3. Denmark
3. Finland
3. France
3. Germany
3. Ireland
3. Italy
3. Spain
4. Austria
4. Belgium
4. Luxembourg
4. Netherlands
4. Norway
4. Portugal
4. Sweden
5. Greece
5. New Zealand
5. Switzerland
6. United Kingdom
7. Australia
7. Czechia
7. Hungary
7. Malta
7. Poland
8. Canada
8. Estonia
8. United Arab Emirates
9. Croatia
9. Latvia
9. Slovakia
9. Slovenia
10. Iceland
10. Lithuania
10. United States

Singaporeans tin entree 193 countries without needing a visa, portion the countries tied for the 10th spot tin entree 182, according to the ranking.

Biggest movers

India's passport jumped the astir of immoderate state successful the past six months, rising to 77th from 85th, according to Henley & Partners.

An investigation of the ranking implicit the past decennary showed the UAE rising 34 places successful the ranking, the institution said. It is the lone "big riser" to interruption into the apical 10 during this time, it said.

China besides roseate 34 spots successful the past 10 years, the institution said, a determination it called "particularly impressive" considering that China doesn't person visa-free entree to Europe's Schengen Area.

Afghanistan's passport remained successful past spot connected the list, granting visa-free entree to conscionable 25 countries worldwide, the institution said.

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