Asian Nations Dominate Passport Power Ranking As US And UK Continue To Decline
A strong European contingent occupies the rest of the Top 5. Seven EU passports share 3rd place — Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, all with access to 189 destinations. Another seven-nation European cohort, with visa-free entry to 188 destinations, are joint 4th — Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden — while New Zealand, the only nation to challenge the regional dominance, ties in 5th place with Greece and Switzerland.
At the other end of the global mobility spectrum, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the ranking, with its citizens able to access just 25 destinations without a prior visa — a staggering mobility gap of 168 destinations between the top- and bottom-ranked passports.
Biggest risers and fallers
The UK and US have each dropped a place in the global passport rankings since January, continuing a long-term downward trend. Once the most powerful passports in the world — the UK in 2015 and the US in 2014 — they now rank 6th and 10th, respectively. The UK currently has visa-free access to 186 destinations, while the US trails with 182. Notably, the US is now on the brink of exiting the Top 10 altogether for the first time in the index's 20-year history.
India has recorded the largest jump in ranking over the past six months, climbing eight places from 85th to 77th, despite only adding two destinations to its visa-free tally, now at 59. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has made the biggest gain in visa-free access, adding four destinations since January. Its total now stands at 91, lifting the kingdom four places to 54th.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, the inventor of the passport index concept, says the latest Henley Passport Index reveals an increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility. 'The consolidation we're seeing at the top underscores that access is earned — and must be maintained — through active and strategic diplomacy. Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements continue to rise, while the opposite applies to those that are less engaged in such efforts.'
UAE and China lead passport power shift
A long-term retrospective view of the index reveals a general global shift towards increased openness, greater mobility, and rising passport strength. Over the past decade, more than 80 passports have climbed at least 10 places, and the global average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.
The UAE continues to be a standout among the top risers, shooting up 34 places over the last 10 years from 42nd to 8th place, making it the only big riser to break into the Top 10 in the ranking. Another notable winner is China, also rising 34 places from 94th to 60th since 2015 — particularly impressive considering that, unlike other top risers, China has not yet gained visa-free access to Europe's Schengen Area.
China's rise has, however, been assisted by its significant move towards greater openness. According to the Henley Openness Index, which ranks all 199 countries worldwide according to the number of nationalities they permit entry to without a prior visa, China has granted visa-free access to over a dozen new passports since January, bringing its total openness score to 75 nations, a remarkable shift considering it allowed visa-free entry to fewer than 20 countries just five years ago.
Notable additions to China's visa-free list in 2025 include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia — which means that citizens of all Gulf Cooperation Council countries can travel to China with no prior visa — as well as several South American nations including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. China's granting of visa-free access to several European states over the past two years has also contributed to the dominance of European passports at the top of the Henley Passport Power Index, which measures the percentage of global GDP each passport provides to its holders visa-free.
Asia-Pacific fuels growth in air travel demand
China's increased openness has been part of an ongoing strategy to attract more visitors, and combined with the strong passports of its maritime neighbors and Singapore, the Asia-Pacific region is a leading driver of global travel.
IATA's Director General, Willie Walsh, says overall demand for air travel showed strong 5.8% growth over the first five months of 2025, with some regional variations. 'Asia-Pacific airlines led the way with 9.5% growth. In North America, international traffic grew by 1.8%, but this was offset by a 1% contraction in the domestic market, leaving demand effectively flat over the period. Importantly, despite economic and geopolitical uncertainties, consumer confidence appears to be strong, with robust forward bookings for the peak Northern summer travel season giving good reason for optimism.'
Legacy powers lose ground in global mobility race
Looking at the past decade, with so many passports gaining power and rising on the Henley Passport Index, only 16 have fallen in rank. The biggest faller is Venezuela, which plunged 15 places from 30th to 45th, followed the US (down 8 places), Vanuatu (-6 places), the UK (-5 places), and Canada (-4 places).
This downward shift in rankings underscores a broader trend: traditional mobility champions are losing ground in an increasingly multi-polar world. As emerging economies liberalize their visa regimes and invest in diplomatic capital, legacy powers like the UK and the US appear to be retreating behind more restrictive entry policies.
Dr. Juerg Steffen, Chief Executive Officer at Henley & Partners, says this trend is reshaping the investment migration landscape. 'Americans are now leading the demand worldwide for alternative residence and citizenship options, with British nationals also among the top five globally. As the US and UK adopt increasingly inward-looking policies, we're witnessing a marked rise in interest from their citizens seeking greater global access and security. Your passport is no longer just a travel document — it's a reflection of your country's diplomatic influence and international relationships. In an era of growing inequality and mounting geopolitical uncertainty, strategic mobility and citizenship planning are more critical than ever.'
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