For the first time in history, the United States has slipped out of the Top 10 rankings in the highly regarded Henley Passport Index. Once a symbol of global mobility and prestige, the U.S. passport now finds itself in the 12th position, sharing the spot with Malaysia.

This development was revealed in the October update of the Henley Passport Index, a respected measure of passport strength that evaluates the ease with which holders can travel globally without needing a prior visa.

Updated: Oct 16, 2025 / 08:04 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. (NewsNation) — For the first time, the United States has fallen out of the Top 10 of the Henley Passport Index.

In its October release, the rating of the U.S. passport dropped to 12th alongside Malaysia.

The rankings are based on a passport’s visa-free travel using data from the International Air Transport Association.

Singapore tops the list, with no visa needed for travel to 193 countries. In contrast, the United States passport allows for visa-free travel to 180 countries.

“Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind,” Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, told Axios.

The No. 12 position doesn’t reflect the true position of the U.S. in the visa-free travel rankings, as 36 countries are ahead of the American passport, including Germany (No. 4), Ireland (No. 5), Australia (No. 7), and Iceland (No. 10).

See the full rankings on Henley’s website.