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U.S. Drops From Henley Passport Index Top 10 for First Time

Henley attributes the slide to recent visa-policy shifts elsewhere alongside low U.S. reciprocity.

A US government official with the State Department's Passport Services places a new blank US Passport with an embedded electronic chip into the "book printer.
Person holding a United States passport with Department of State logo visible, Lafayette, California, May 23, 2023.
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Overview

  • The latest ranking places the U.S. tied with Malaysia at 12th, with visa-free access to 180 of 227 destinations.
  • Singapore leads with access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea (190) and Japan (189), reflecting Asia’s growing travel freedom.
  • This year’s cited changes include Brazil revoking visa-free entry for Americans, China expanding exemptions that exclude the U.S., and adjustments by Papua New Guinea and Myanmar.
  • Henley says Somalia’s new eVisa system and Vietnam’s decision to omit the U.S. from its latest visa-free additions pushed it below the top 10.
  • The U.S. allows visa-free entry to only 46 nationalities (77th on Henley’s Openness Index), and Henley reports a 67% year-to-date rise in Americans applying for alternative residence or citizenship.