Overview
- Singapore remains No. 1 with visa-free access to 192 destinations, while Afghanistan ranks last with 24, a 168-destination gap that marks a widening divide.
- The United States climbs back to 10th with access to 179 destinations, seven fewer than a year ago, reflecting a longer-term slide from its joint first-place position in 2014.
- Henley-cited analysis warns a late-2025 U.S. CBP proposal could reshape the Visa Waiver Program by requiring extensive personal, biometric and digital data from citizens of 42 countries as early as February, following expanded U.S. entry restrictions now applying to 39 countries.
- Outbound access contrasts with inbound openness: the U.S. allows visa-free entry for only 46 nationalities, ranking 78th on Henley’s Openness Index, as China increases visa-free entry to 77 nationalities.
- Henley reports a 28% rise in 2025 applications for alternative residence and citizenship, with the U.S. as its largest client market, as IATA forecasts more than 5.2 billion airline passengers in 2026.