Singaporeans continue to hold the world’s most powerful passport, allowing visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 193 countries out of 227 worldwide, according to the latest Henley Passport Index released on July 22, 2025.
Although this is a slight drop from 195 destinations earlier this year, Singapore remains in first place. The dip is due to Pakistan and Mauritania changing their visa policies from visa-on-arrival to e-visa systems. Unlike visa-on-arrival, e-visas require travelers to get approval before leaving their country, so these don’t count as visa-free access.
Japan and South Korea are ranked second with access to 190 destinations. Seven European Union countries, including Denmark, France, and Germany, share third place with 189 destinations.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and the United States continue their long-term decline in the rankings. Once the world’s most powerful passports, the UK now ranks sixth and the US tenth.
At the bottom of the list is Afghanistan, with its citizens able to enter only 25 countries without a prior visa. Syria and Iraq also rank near the bottom, with 27 and 30 visa-free destinations respectively.
India made the biggest jump in the rankings over the past six months, moving up eight places to 77th by adding two new visa-free destinations, reaching a total of 59. Saudi Arabia had the largest gain in visa-free access, adding four new countries and rising to 54th place with access to 91 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index is updated twice a year, tracking how many countries passport holders can enter without needing a visa in advance. It uses data from the International Air Transport Association and covers 199 passports and 227 destinations.
A spokeswoman for Henley & Partners explained that the rankings change regularly because visa policies frequently shift as countries sign or revoke travel agreements.
In summary:
Singapore’s passport remains the strongest in the world, offering its holders easy access to almost 85% of countries worldwide without needing a visa before traveling. Other countries like Japan and South Korea follow closely, while the UK and US have dropped in rankings. Passport strength continues to change as nations adjust travel rules.
