The Australian passport is weaker and the US passport has fallen out of the top 10 in the latest global passport rankings.
The 2025 rankings, tracked by British migration consultants Henley and Partners, were released this week.
Henley passport index creator Christian H. Kaelin said the “global mobility landscape” was finely balanced.
“The declining strength of the US passport over the past decade is more than just a reshuffle in rankings — it signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics,” he said.
“Nations that embrace openness and co-operation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind.”
Australians lost visa-free access to four countries in the past year, the rankings show, weakening the Australian passport from equal sixth to equal seventh.
The Australian passport is now equal seventh most powerful. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard
Tied with Czechia, Malta and Poland, Australians do not need a visa to get into 185 countries. Kiwis can enter 186 nations visa-free.
In the past year, Singapore has emerged from a six-way tie to now lead the rankings outright.
Singaporeans can get into 193 countries without a visa, ahead of South Korea with 190 and Japan with 189.
Germans, Italians, Luxembourgers, Spaniards and the Swiss are all tied in fourth spot.
Donald Trump’s trade war has coincided with the US passport falling out of the top 10 — to 12th — for the first time.
From the top spot in 2014, the US lost more ranking spots this year as Brazil and the US denied each others’ citizens visa-free entry. China, Vietnam and Somalia also shunned Americans this past year too.
Australia actually has the most lopsided visa arrangements in the world, Henley and Partners says, a measure gauged using International Air Transport Association data.
No country has more visa-free destinations on offer but allows so few people to visit without a visa as Australia does.
The US is second in that measure, followed by Canada, New Zealand and Japan.
