The world's most powerful passports announced: What is Turkey's ranking?
According to the October data from the Henley Passport Index, the US passport has fallen out of the world's top 10 most powerful passports for the first time in 20 years. Turkey's position on the list also drew attention. Here are the details...
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The Henley Passport Index, which determines the world's most powerful passports, has announced its October results. The index, prepared based on 20 years of data, is ranked according to the number of countries that passports provide visa-free access to.
US DROPS FROM THE LIST
In the index, the US passport was removed from the world's top 10 most powerful passports for the first time in 20 years. The US, which held the top spot in 2014, was still in the top 10 as of July 2024. However, with the latest data, the US has fallen to 12th place, tied with Malaysia.
The number of countries that US citizens can visit visa-free was announced as 180.
COUNTRIES IN THE TOP 10
Singapore (193 countries) tops the list, followed by South Korea (190) and Japan (189).
The countries that follow are ranked as follows:
Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland (188)
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands (187)
Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden (186)
Australia, Czechia, Malta, Poland (185)
Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, UAE, United Kingdom (184)
Canada (183)
Latvia, Liechtenstein (182)
There are multiple reasons for the US's decline in the rankings.
In April, Brazil began requiring visas from citizens of the US, Canada, and Australia, citing a lack of reciprocity.
While China grants visa-free entry to European countries such as Germany and France, it did not include the US in this scope.
Papua New Guinea and Myanmar changed their entry policies, providing advantages to other countries' passports.
Somalia's launch of an e-visa system and Vietnam's decision not to include the US on its visa-free list also contributed to this decline.
The United Kingdom passport also showed a decline. The UK, which held the top spot in 2015, has dropped two places since July to 8th place.
In contrast, China rose from 94th place in 2015 to 64th place as of 2025. During this period, the Chinese passport gained visa-free access to 37 new countries.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), meanwhile, has climbed 34 places in the last 10 years, moving from 42nd to 8th place.
Turkey ranked 51st with visa-free entry to 113 countries.