How powerful is your passport successful 2025? Europe’s apical performers, astonishment stragglers, and nan world passport powerfulness shuffle. Hands breaking paperclip concatenation complete passport - Symbolising state and recreation restrictions. Credit: alexkich, Shutterstock
Discover nan 2025 Henley Passport Index rankings, pinch Singapore astatine nan apical and 28 European countries successful nan world apical 10. See which passports are rising, which are falling, and what it intends for world recreation this year.
The Henley Passport Index – nan yearly ranking that measures really galore countries a passport holder tin sojourn without a visa – has conscionable released its 2025 update. And erstwhile again, Europe is holding beardown adjacent nan top… though a fewer nations look to person misplaced their boarding passes.
Singapore still sitting beautiful astatine nan top
For nan 2nd twelvemonth successful a row, Singapore takes nan crown, pinch visa-free entree to 193 destinations. That’s astir nan full satellite connected a platter.
Asia’s large players proceed their ascent – Japan and South Korea stock 2nd spot pinch entree to 190 countries each.
Europe dominates – mostly
Sharing 3rd spot are 7 EU nations: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain, each boasting entree to 189 destinations. Not bad for a continent that erstwhile required passport checks astatine each border.
Just 1 notch down, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, nan Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden return 4th spot pinch entree to 188 destinations.
Greece, Switzerland and New Zealand information retired nan apical five. Notably, nan Kiwi passport continues to punch good supra its weight for a state nestled truthful acold from its neighbours.
But while overmuch of Europe is basking successful passport power, a mates of countries are trailing acold behind.
Belarus and Kosovo – stuck astatine nan gate
Despite 28 European countries making it into nan world apical 10, Belarus and Kosovo are still grounded.
- Belarus is classed 62nd, pinch conscionable 81 visa-free destinations.
- Kosovo sits astatine 61st, pinch 82 destinations.
Both passports lag good beneath nan world mean of 109. Kosovo has made immoderate caller negotiated progress, but overall, some stay extracurricular astir Western visa-waiver agreements.
Passport powerfulness diminution – nan UK and US descent continues
It wasn’t agelong agone that nan UK and US were flying precocious astatine nan apical of nan rankings. But 2025 sees them slipping further.
- In pre-Brexit 2015, UK passport holders were classed 1st successful position of access. They now beryllium astatine 6th, pinch entree to 186 destinations.
- The US, which besides topped nan array successful 2014, has dropped to 10th, pinch 182 destinations – its lowest-ever rank.
So what went wrong? According to Henley & Partners, nan Chicago-based citizenship consultancy down nan index, it’s a lawsuit of “what goes astir comes around.” As some countries person introduced tougher introduction rules, different nations person softly returned nan favour.
According to nan experts, countries that put successful diplomacy thin to climb nan rankings.
And climb they have. The UAE now sits successful 8th place, pinch Saudi Arabia and China climbing excessively – acknowledgment to accrued efforts to relax visa rules and make friends connected nan world stage.
Final boarding call?
Your passport isn’t conscionable a booklet – it’s a awesome of your country’s world relationships. While overmuch of Europe continues to bask wide-open borders and negotiated perks, a fewer nations are being near behind.
If you’ve sewage a passport from Singapore aliases 1 of nan EU high-flyers, you’re successful luck for now.
Explore our travel guides, destination tips, and insider insights – your passport to smarter recreation starts here.