The US no longer ranks among the world’s 10 most powerful passports

The U.S. no longer ranks among the world's 10 most powerful passports — a first in the 20-year history of theHenley Passport Index.

Henley & Partners, a London-based residence and citizenship advisory firm, issues a quarterly report scoring passports by the number of destinations their holders can access without aprior visa. In the most recent ranking of 199 national passports, the U.S. passport slid down two more spots into 12th place, tying with Malaysia. The U.S. last held the No. 1 spot in 2014.

According to International Air Transport Association data compiled by Henley & Partners, American passport holders can visit 79% of the world without a visa, or 180 of 227 destinations globally. The U.S.'s drop in rankings is due to several factors. Brazil revoked visa-free access for Americans this April due to a lack of reciprocity. (For context, the U.S. allows visa-free access to 46 countries.) Meanwhile, China and Vietnam expanded visa-free access to some nations, but not the U.S.

The 10 most powerful passports in the world

Hand holding Singapore passport, mask and boarding pass, holding on to airport trolley. — KANDL/GETTY IMAGES

Singapore holds the title of the world's strongest passport for the second consecutive year, with visa-free access to 193 of 227 destinations globally.

South Korea placed second this year for the fifth year in a row (providing visa-free entry to 190 countries). It is followed by Japan in third place, with access to 189 countries without a visa.

Rounding out the top 10 most powerful passports are:

No. 4: Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland (188 visa-free countries)
No. 5: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland and the Netherlands (187 visa-free countries)
No. 6: Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and Sweden (186 visa-free countries)
No. 7: Australia, Czech Republic, Malta and Poland (185 visa-free countries)
No. 8: Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates and the U.K. (184 visa-free countries)
No. 9: Canada (183 visa-free countries)
No. 10: Latvia and Liechtenstein (182 visa-free countries)

Afghanistan remains the least powerful passport, providing visa-free access to just 24 destinations.

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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.